France and its European partners are resisting Washington’s push to end the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon – UNIFIL – arguing its presence remains essential for stability along Israel’s northern border.
The United Nations Security Council began to debate Monday a resolution drafted by France to extend the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon for a year with the ultimate aim to withdraw it.
The future of UNIFIL has become the latest flashpoint between Washington and its European allies.
While the Trump administration has been pressing to draw down and shut the operation within months, France and its European partners are rallying behind it, arguing its continued presence is vital for stability in the region.
Created in 1978 and expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, UNIFIL has long served as a buffer force in southern Lebanon.
Its 10,000-strong contingent of international troops patrols a volatile border and supports the Lebanese army as it works to consolidate authority. For many in Europe, the mission is imperfect but indispensable.
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'Expensive failure'
The White House, however, has made no secret of its desire to curtail the operation.
Senior officials, echoing longstanding Israeli frustrations, see UNIFIL as an expensive failure that has done little to weaken Hezbollah’s grip in the south of the country.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently endorsed a plan to wind down the mission over six months, part of a broader retreat from multilateral commitments and UN spending.
But France – backed by Italy and Britain – has mounted a determined diplomatic campaign to resist an abrupt end.
European envoys argue that cutting short UNIFIL’s work would create a dangerous security vacuum.
France has pointed to the example of Mali, where a premature UN withdrawal left government forces overstretched and paved the way for extremist groups to expand.
As one French diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned: “If you leave too soon, others will rush to fill the space – and not the kind of actors anyone wants.”
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France secures UNIFIL extension
After a series of negotiations last week, France and its allies secured provisional US agreement to a one-year extension of the mandate, buying time to keep the mission alive.
Israel, though long hostile to the peacekeepers, reluctantly accepted the compromise. What happens beyond next year, however, remains the subject of debate.
The French draft resolution, circulated in New York ahead of an upcoming Security Council vote on 25 August, deliberately avoids setting a fixed withdrawal date.
Instead, it extends UNIFIL’s mandate for a year while signalling the Council’s “intention to work on a withdrawal”.
For Paris, keeping the mission's closure open-ended is crucial to avoid emboldening Hezbollah or undermining the Lebanese army before it is ready to assume full responsibility.
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Disarming Hezbollah
Lebanon’s government is itself deeply wary of any rapid pullback. With only 6,000 troops currently deployed in the south, Beirut says it needs time and resources to scale up to the planned 10,000.
Retired general Khalil Helou has warned that without UNIFIL, the army would have to divert soldiers from the Syrian border or other critical posts, risking wider instability. “For Lebanon, their presence is important,” he said.
Even Washington’s own representatives have softened their tone. Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Lebanon, this week called on Israel to fully honour its ceasefire commitments, including withdrawal from five Lebanese border points it still occupies.
He praised Beirut for taking steps to disarm Hezbollah and urged an “economic plan for prosperity, restoration and renovation” in the country.
Meanwhile, UN officials, have continued to underline the mission’s contribution. Peacekeepers have uncovered weapons caches and rocket launchers in recent weeks, sharing intelligence with the Lebanese army.
“UNIFIL remains critical to regional stability,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Financial constraints may still force adjustments. With UN budgets under strain, diplomats acknowledge that troop numbers could be reduced, offset by the greater use of surveillance technology.
(with newswires)
