Lebanese president calls for extending mandate of UN peacekeeping forces in south

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called Monday for extending the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), saying its presence serves stability in the country's south.

"The UNIFIL presence in the south is important in many respects, and helps keep residents in their villages and towns, and strengthens stability in cooperation and coordination with the Lebanese army," Aoun said during a meeting with a parliamentary delegation, as cited by a presidency statement.

"Our first option is to extend UNIFIL's mandate," he said. "If its mandate is not extended, the second option is to adopt a formula that ensures the continued presence of international forces in the south, within the required legal framework."

Aoun said these forces will help support stability, in cooperation with the Lebanese army.

The Lebanese president said Israel rejects UNIFIL's presence and "has been pressing in that direction for nearly a year."

"Lebanon, meanwhile, continues to demand UNIFIL to stay," he added.

"The basic idea is to achieve a breakthrough that ensures the continued international presence in the south, whether through extending UNIFIL's mandate or through international forces that support it, in a way that preserves stability and strengthens the role of the state and the Lebanese army," he said.

UNIFIL has been deployed since 1978 to monitor the ceasefire along the Lebanese-Israeli border and support the Lebanese Armed Forces in southern Lebanon. Its mandate is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2026.

It comes amid tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border since Israel launched deadly attacks on Lebanon, killing more than 4,300 people, injuring over 12,300 and displacing more than 1 million since March 2, according to official Lebanese figures.