In a seismic shift for Middle East peacekeeping, the United Nations has ordered a drastic retreat of its long-standing mission in Lebanon. The UN Security Council has voted to slash the number of troops in its UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) by a staggering two-thirds, downsizing from 15,000 to just 5,000 personnel.
The resolution, which passed with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions from Russia and China, follows months of intense pressure from Israel and its key ally, the United States. Both nations have repeatedly criticised UNIFIL, claiming it has failed to disarm the powerful Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
A Mission Under Fire
The vote represents a major victory for Israeli diplomacy. Israel's UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, hailed the move as a "necessary correction," lambasting UNIFIL for what he described as a failure to confront Hezbollah's entrenchment and weapons stockpiling in the region.
For weeks, the US and its allies have pushed for a more robust mandate that would grant UNIFIL forces greater freedom to operate and investigate without seeking permission from the Lebanese authorities. However, this push was met with fierce resistance from Lebanon itself.
Lebanon's Fierce Opposition
The Lebanese government had campaigned vigorously against any changes to the mission's rules of engagement. Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned that altering the mandate would effectively transform the peacekeepers into "an opposing fighting force" rather than a neutral buffer.
Ultimately, a compromise was reached. The new resolution does grant UNIFIL enhanced freedom of movement, but it falls short of the sweeping powers initially sought by Washington. The force is now authorised to conduct patrols and ensure that its area of operations is not used for hostile activities, but its ability to act independently remains constrained.
The Shadow of Escalating Conflict
This dramatic drawdown occurs against a backdrop of near-daily cross-border exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli military. The clashes, which have intensified over the past year, have stoked fears of a full-scale war that could engulf the entire region.
UNIFIL was originally established in 1978 to confirm Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon and later oversaw the ceasefire that ended the brutal 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Its presence has been a critical, if imperfect, stabilising force for nearly five decades.
The decision to gut the mission's manpower sends a chilling signal about the UN's retreat from one of the world's most volatile flashpoints, leaving a precarious security vacuum in its wake.
