The Media Line: Lebanon Says International Force Needed in South After UNIFIL Withdrawal in 2027 

Lebanon Says International Force Needed in South After UNIFIL Withdrawal in 2027  

By The Media Line   

Lebanon will require a new form of international presence in its south once the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) departs in 2027, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Saturday during a visit to Paris, stressing that security along the border with Israel demands continued oversight.  

Salam delivered the remarks a day after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron, according to Asharq-al-Awsat, adding the country would still need foreign monitors and peacekeepers after UNIFIL’s mandate ends.   

“We will always need an international presence in the south, and preferably a UN presence, given the impartiality and neutrality that only the UN can provide,” he said.  

Under a resolution passed last August, UNIFIL’s approximately 10,800 peacekeepers will have one year to withdraw beginning December 31, 2026. The force has operated in southern Lebanon since March 1978, maintaining a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon.  

Salam said any new presence would likely combine observers with peacekeeping personnel because of the “history of hostility” with Israel. He noted that UN peacekeepers currently coordinate with the Lebanese army as part of a ceasefire arrangement that has been in place since November 2024 between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.  

Although Israel was expected to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon under the ceasefire terms, it continues to hold five positions it considers strategically important. Israel also carries out airstrikes targeting what it says are Hezbollah sites and operatives, citing concerns that the group is rearming.  

Addressing Hezbollah’s pledged disarmament, Salam said the second phase of the process began “two weeks ago.” The Lebanese army has reported completing the first stage, which focused on removing Hezbollah’s weapons south of the Litani River.  

The next phase, he said, will extend the effort northward between the Litani and the Awali River, an area where Hezbollah maintains significant influence. Salam acknowledged that the requirements for this stage differ from the first and described Hezbollah’s recent rhetoric as “rather harsh,” adding, “But let me be clear, we will not back down.”