With Hezbollah under pressure, UN peace mission nears endgame

The United Nations Security Council is set to vote Thursday on what could be the final extension of the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), with plans for a full withdrawal by 2027. 

The decision comes under intense pressure from the United States and Israel, both of whom are pushing to end the mission.

Since March 1978, approximately 10,800 UN peacekeepers have operated along the Lebanon-Israel border to serve as a buffer between the two sides. 

The mission’s mandate, routinely renewed in the past, expires this Sunday—but this year’s renewal is facing strong opposition from Israel and its key ally, the United States.

Earlier this week, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said Washington would support a one-year extension, but it remains unclear how the U.S. will vote on Thursday.

The vote comes at a pivotal moment. Lebanon has agreed—under American pressure—to disarm and dismantle Hezbollah by the end of the year, as part of a ceasefire agreement that ended the 2024 war with Israel. 

Under that deal, Hezbollah must withdraw from areas south of the Litani River and dismantle its military infrastructure. In return, the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers are expected to expand their presence in the area.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has urged the UN to keep the peacekeepers in place, warning that any reduction in UNIFIL’s mandate could destabilize the region. 

"Any limitation of UNIFIL’s role would have a negative impact, especially as Israel continues to occupy parts of Lebanese territory," he said last week.

The ceasefire agreement also calls for a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. However, Israeli forces remain in several strategic border positions and continue to carry out airstrikes in Lebanon. 

The draft resolution being considered by the UN Security Council calls on Israel to withdraw from all positions north of the Blue Line, the UN-demarcated boundary between the two countries, including five sites on Lebanese territory.