US denies it is seeking to end UNIFIL mission in Lebanon

The US State Department has denied reports that it is backing a move to end the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, following claims in Israeli media and rising tensions between UN forces and local communities.

Over the weekend, Israel Hayom daily reported that Israel was supporting a US effort to terminate the 47-year mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), raising alarm in Beirut.

The report claimed Israel believed the Lebanese army would be a more effective partner in weakening Hezbollah's presence along the border.

But when asked by The New Arab, a US State Department spokesperson dismissed the report as "not accurate".

UNIFIL, which has around 10,000 troops from nearly 50 countries stationed between the Litani River and the Israeli-Lebanese border, was established in 1978 following Israel’s first invasion of Lebanon.

It has served as the primary buffer between Hezbollah and Israel for decades and plays a key role in monitoring the ceasefire established by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in 2006.

UNIFIL's mandate is renewed annually by the UN Security Council, with the next vote scheduled for August. While Washington has the power to block the renewal through a veto, no formal indication has been given that it intends to do so.

Despite the November ceasefire agreement that ended last year’s war between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli forces have continued launching strikes across southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The Lebanese government and international actors have condemned the attacks as violations of the ceasefire.

Last month, Israel shelled a UNIFIL base for the first time since the truce began. Meanwhile, Israeli troops continue to occupy five strategic hilltops inside Lebanese territory, despite being obligated to withdraw, insisting they will not pull back until Hezbollah is fully disarmed.

On the ground, frustration with UNIFIL is growing. In recent weeks, local residents have increasingly clashed with peacekeepers, blocking patrols and insisting that UNIFIL operate only when accompanied by the Lebanese army.

UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti has reiterated that under Resolution 1701, the force has the authority to patrol without Lebanese army escorts.

On Tuesday, a UNIFIL convoy was stopped by residents in the village of Bedias in the Tyre district. In footage shared online, one Lebanese man is heard shouting “don’t touch him” at a Finnish peacekeeper before another man slaps the soldier across the face.

UNIFIL confirmed that a group “attempted to obstruct the patrol using aggressive means, including throwing stones,” and acknowledged that “one peacekeeper was struck,” though no injuries were reported. The Lebanese army later intervened and de-escalated the situation.

"It is unacceptable that UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to be targeted," the force said in a statement.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the assault on UN personnel, warning that such attacks threaten the security and stability of south Lebanon and damage national interests.

"Lebanon is keen to renew UNIFIL’s mandate to ensure the implementation of Resolution 1701 and to maintain stability on the southern border," Salam said on Tuesday.

A former president of the UN’s International Court of Justice, Salam has vowed to end the state's military dualism by asserting control over all weapons in the country. He called on authorities to identify and arrest those behind the Bedias incident.

UNIFIL has reported uncovering over 225 weapons caches in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire began in November. The Lebanese army has dismantled many of them, and according to Salam, 500 militant sites have been shut down since the start of the year.

Still, pressure on Beirut is mounting to speed up the disarmament of Hezbollah. However, group officials insist they will not hand over weapons until Israel withdraws fully from Lebanese territory and releases roughly 15 Lebanese detainees, including civilians and fighters, still held in Israeli prisons.

Tensions between Hezbollah and UNIFIL have previously turned deadly. In December 2022, an Irish peacekeeper was shot and killed in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah later handed over a suspect, who was released about a year later.