On the eve of the upcoming meetings of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri with a number of US officials in Washington, diplomats told Asharq Al-Awsat that the United States has demanded to limit the number of soldiers and personnel of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in a proposal that triggered reservations from a number of Security Council member states.
This proposal was made by the US Deputy Representative to the UN, Jonathan Cohen, during a closed-door Council meeting to consider the extension of the mandate of the mission deployed in southern Lebanon to oversee the cessation of hostilities with Israel under Resolution 1701 of 2006.
Although Washington has sought since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s term to curb its financial contributions to the United Nations, especially in peacekeeping missions, European diplomats were surprised by US pressure to reduce UNIFIL’s capacity.
The US administration had previously pressed for the handover of the UNIFIL naval mission to the Lebanese army. It is now demanding that the number of troops and personnel deployed in the mission be reduced, but the peacekeepers’ effectiveness increased.
The number of UNIFIL troops and personnel currently stands at about 10,500, while it could be increases to more than 15,000.
France is expected to submit soon the draft resolution on the expected extension of the international force by the end of this month.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote to the President of UN Security Council for the month of August, Polish Ambassador Joanna Wronecka, referring to Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil’s request that the Council extend the presence of UNIFIL for a further period of one year without modifying its mandate, concept of operations and rules of engagement.
He noted that relative calm and stability in southern Lebanon and along the Blue Line, as well as in northern Israel, should not be taken for granted.
Guterres said in his letter that no tangible progress has been made towards a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution to the conflict, adding that the parties have not yet fulfilled their obligations under Resolution 1701.
He reiterated that Israel must withdraw its forces from the northern part of Ghajar village and the adjacent area north of the Blue Line, and stop its violations of Lebanese airspace, while the Lebanese government must exercise effective authority over all Lebanese territory, ensure the safety and security of the civilian population and that of UN personnel, and disarm all armed groups.
The UN Secretary-General called on the Lebanese authorities to take all measures to ensure that there is no unauthorized presence of armed personnel, materiel or weapons in the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River.
He pointed out that the Lebanese government continues to express its strong commitment to expand the capacity of the Lebanese army on land and sea, which he said remains vital to strengthen the presence of the state in southern Lebanon.
