What does UNIFIL leave for southern Lebanon mean? A report warns

The Asia Times published a new report in which it spoke about what the issue of ending the work of the “UNIFIL” forces operating in Lebanon, in light of the issue of renovation of it this month with the end of its mandate on August 31.

The UNIFIL is considered an essential element in preserving peace between Israel, Lebanon and “Hezbollah”, but the issue of renewal for it witnessed a widespread controversy, especially since this matter was raised in light of Israeli pressures that occurred in this framework, that is, towards non -renewal.
The “Asia Times” report believes that the lack of approval of any renewal of the “UNIFIL” forces is considered a great risk, noting that “any sudden withdrawal of UNIFIL will create a dangerous security void along the Lebanese -Israeli border, which may lead to broader repercussions on the stability of the Middle East.”
The report notes that “the mandate of UNIFIL did not include at any time to disarm Hizbullah directly, which Washington referred to to reduce its expenses for the international peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, although the UNIFIL mission is limited to helping to find and preserve an area free of armed groups in southern Lebanon, by supporting the Lebanese armed forces.”
At the heart of the Israeli narration, the claim comes that the UNIFIL force failed to uncover the Hizbullah tunnel network in southern Lebanon, but this criticism overlooks the fact that the Israeli intelligence itself did not discover these tunnels for more than one decade, although it was extending inside Israeli territory, according to the report.
Asia Times indicates that in the wake of the ceasefire agreement in 2024, Lebanon began taking concrete steps to confront the military hegemony of Hezbollah in the south. Also, the Lebanese armed forces expanded their deployment in the region, dismantled the party’s fortifications, and began to limit weapons under the authority of the state, according to the report.
In August 2025, the Lebanese government asked the army to develop a plan aimed at ensuring the state’s monopoly for the use of weapons. Here, the report says that “this trend has sparked severe opposition from Hizbullah and its political allies, which reflects the sensitivity and seriousness of the attempt to reduce the role of the armed party.”
Despite the challenges, according to the report, these steps recently taken by Beirut are among the most serious attempts in years to impose the state’s control of the armed situation of Hezbollah, a development that makes the continuation of the presence of “UNIFIL” more important as a stability factor in the current transitional phase.
He continued: “Despite these positive moves on the ground, the differences are still ongoing at the United Nations headquarters in New York, as the Security Council voting was postponed on Monday regarding the extension of UNIFIL, although the current mandate ends on August 31, adding a pressure factor to the progress of negotiations.”
He continued: “14 out of 15 members of the Security Council agree on the necessity of renewing the UNIFIL authorization, while the United States remains the only conservative party. In contrast, France, in its capacity as the country responsible for drafting the Security Council resolutions related to the UNIFIL authorization, is trying to submit a set of proposals that may suit the American position.”
The “Asia Times” report says that “Israel’s positions towards the UNIFIL force reflects a long -term strategy aimed at undermining the legitimacy of the mission.” Fear it, in a direct violation of the agreement. ”
Also, the report notes that “the continuous Israeli endeavors to undermine the UNIFIL power are part of its current faith, which prefers military solutions to diplomacy and political negotiation in southern Lebanon.” He continued: “Through the semi -exclusive dependence on the force against Hizbullah, Israel has caused revenge reactions, and these confrontations are used in turn as evidence by Israel as under a permanent threat, which justifies taking action. Defense measures. ”
He continued: “In this way, military moves produce a state of instability that are later used as an excuse for a new escalation. It is an episode of chaos that marginalize diplomacy, strengthen the approach of power, and remains on the conflict continues.”
For this, the report considered that “the dismantling of the peacekeeping mission now will eliminate one of the last balance factors in an area whose fragility increases.”
He concluded: “Therefore, the sudden withdrawal of UNIFIL would cause a dangerous vacuum, which may lead to the escalation of Hizbullah’s activity in the south, which raises the possibilities of a new direct confrontation between it and Israel, and perhaps another Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon.”

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