SOUTHERN LEBANON — September 19, 2026 — The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon is preparing for a major transition, with its commander warning that humanitarian agencies and Lebanese forces must be ready to assume key responsibilities before UNIFIL begins its scheduled drawdown.
Major General Diodato Abagnara, head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), told Reuters during a visit to southern Lebanon that ensuring a smooth transfer of responsibilities will be critical as the mission approaches the end of its current mandate.
UNIFIL has operated in southern Lebanon for nearly five decades, monitoring hostilities and supporting efforts to maintain stability along the Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel.
The mission’s current mandate is due to expire on December 31, 2026. Under a 2025 UN Security Council resolution, UNIFIL is then expected to begin an orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal process lasting up to one year, while Lebanon’s government is ultimately expected to assume responsibility for security in the south.
Why the transition is becoming complicated
Abagnara said UNIFIL is already working with other UN agencies and the Lebanese army to prepare for the handover.
That includes coordination on humanitarian assistance and sharing information about sensitive areas with the Lebanese military.
But the transition could prove difficult in some locations.
According to Reuters, more than half of UNIFIL’s positions are in areas currently controlled by Israeli forces, complicating any potential transfer of those posts to Lebanese troops.
The situation is unfolding against the backdrop of renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and continued tensions along the Lebanon-Israel frontier.
UNIFIL has also taken on additional responsibilities during the latest conflict, including providing security escorts for humanitarian aid convoys serving communities in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon seeks continued international involvement
The future of the international presence in southern Lebanon has become an increasingly important diplomatic issue.
Lebanon has called for UNIFIL’s mandate to be reconsidered, arguing that the security environment has changed significantly since the original decision to end the mission.
The country has also said that a continued international presence could help prevent a security vacuum while Lebanese forces expand their role.
At the same time, discussions have been underway about possible arrangements that could follow UNIFIL, including a potential new multinational mission.
The exact structure and mandate of any successor arrangement, however, remain unresolved.
Lebanon’s army faces a difficult task
The transition is closely linked to the ability of Lebanon’s armed forces to expand their presence in the south.
AP reported this week that Lebanese, French and Jordanian leaders met in Paris to discuss support for Lebanon’s military and plans for an international presence after UNIFIL’s mandate expires.
Lebanon’s army remains under financial and logistical pressure after years of economic crisis. AP reported that the military has struggled with funding, equipment and personnel retention, increasing the challenges involved in expanding its responsibilities.
A framework announced in June called for Israel to gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon while Lebanese forces assume greater control and Hezbollah is disarmed. AP reported that implementation of that framework has stalled.
The UN’s post-UNIFIL options
The UN has already begun examining what could replace or succeed UNIFIL.
Earlier this year, UN peacekeeping officials said possible future arrangements could involve functions such as monitoring, reporting, observation and liaison, as well as support for mine-related activities.
Those discussions reflect an attempt to preserve some international involvement even after UNIFIL’s current mandate ends.
The UN Security Council’s 2025 resolution also specifically asked the UN secretary-general to explore options for implementing Resolution 1701 after UNIFIL’s withdrawal, including support for monitoring the Blue Line and assisting the Lebanese Armed Forces’ deployment south of the Litani River.
A deadline — and a much longer withdrawal
The December 31 deadline therefore does not mean UNIFIL personnel will immediately disappear from southern Lebanon.
Instead, the mission is authorized to begin an orderly drawdown from that date, with the withdrawal process expected to take place over the following year.
During that period, the UN resolution allows UNIFIL to continue certain functions, including protecting UN personnel and facilities, maintaining situational awareness, escorting UN personnel, providing medical support and contributing to civilian protection and humanitarian assistance within its capabilities.
For Abagnara, the immediate challenge is making sure that responsibilities do not fall into a gap between the departing peacekeepers and the institutions expected to replace them.
He told Reuters that without a new Security Council decision, UNIFIL would have to stop operating under its existing mandate at the end of the year.
The question now is whether the international community can agree on what comes next — before the transition begins in earnest.
