UN Peacekeeping Force Mandate in Lebanon Expires End of 2026

The mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon is set to expire at the end of 2026. The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2790 in August 2025 to end the mission. The resolution also directs the Secretary-General to present options by June 1 for future implementation of Resolution 1701.

Resolution 1701, adopted after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, called for an end to hostilities and expanded the mission's role to monitor the ceasefire, ensure humanitarian access, and support deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL currently fields about 8,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries. The force was established in 1978 to oversee Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon and help restore peace and security.

UNIFIL has developed plans for the withdrawal of personnel and the disposal of bases and equipment. Facilities could become Lebanese state buildings where the Lebanese Armed Forces could be stationed, according to Chiara Ruffa, professor at Sciences Po Paris.

The outcome depends on Israel's intentions, she said. The Security Council has given no indication that it is revisiting the decision to end the mission. UNIFIL is not involved in developing proposals for what follows. U.S. arguments that the Lebanese army should assume greater responsibility without UN peacekeepers.

The Lebanese Armed Forces are under-equipped, under-funded, and under-staffed, according to analysts. They are not positioned to forcibly disarm Hezbollah or confront the Israeli military. The UN Security Council could assign a greater role to the smaller Military Observer Group Lebanon, said Ruffa.

Resolution 1701 and Resolution 1559 are likely to form the backbone of future arrangements in southern Lebanon, said Raymond Murphy, former UNIFIL peacekeeper and professor at the University of Galway. Both resolutions call for foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon and for disarmament of all armed groups.