President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed on Thursday the United Nations Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until December 31, 2026.
President Aoun thanked all 15 Security Council members for their unanimous support, singling out France as penholder for its diplomatic efforts, and the United States for backing the French draft and understanding Lebanon’s circumstances.
He also expressed gratitude to other member states for their valuable input, as well as to Lebanese officials, from the mission to the UN to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for their role in securing the resolution. Aoun said he hopes the next 16 months will bring stability on Lebanon’s southern border and that the subsequent year of UNIFIL’s withdrawal will help consolidate Lebanon’s sovereignty over its entire border.
For his part, Prime Minister Salam praised the member states’ constructive engagement during the negotiations, highlighting France’s role in building consensus and acknowledging other nations for taking Lebanon’s concerns into account.
He explained that the renewal covers a 16-month period, followed by a gradual and safe one-year withdrawal at the end of 2026. The resolution also calls on the UN Secretary-General to consider future options for implementing Resolution 1701, including continued support for security and monitoring along the Blue Line after UNIFIL’s departure.
Salam emphasized that the resolution reiterates its call on Israel to withdraw from the five positions it still occupies and underscores the need for the Lebanese state to assert its authority over the entire territory, in line with previous international resolutions and the Taif Accord, “so that there are no weapons except those of the state and no authority except that of the government.” He added that the international community is urged to bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with equipment, supplies, and funding to ensure their effective and sustained deployment.
Moreover, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also thanked the members of the UN Security Council for unanimously voting to renew UNIFIL’s mandate.
The same position was expressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which described the UN decision as the “result of sustained diplomatic efforts carried out by the ministry in coordination with the Presidency of the Republic and the government to preserve UNIFIL’s missions in this sensitive and delicate context that Lebanon is experiencing, marked by Israel’s ongoing violations and aggressions.”
“The ministry reaffirms Lebanon’s commitment to work closely with the international forces in order to strengthen the deployment of the Lebanese army in the South, concentrate weapons under its authority, and implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” the statement read.
The ministry also expressed “its gratitude to all the states that have participated in UNIFIL’s missions since its establishment in 1978 to the present day,” emphasizing Lebanon’s “commitment to the security and protection of UNIFIL forces and personnel.”
The Foreign Ministry on Friday reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to “work and cooperate closely” with international forces to bolster the Lebanese army’s deployment in the South, ensure that weapons remain under state control, and advance the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
In a press release, the ministry described the renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate as “an important step” aligned with ongoing efforts by the state to extend its sovereignty and authority across Lebanese territory amid continuing Israeli violations.
The ministry expressed “deep appreciation” to Security Council members for unanimously extending the peacekeeping mission for another year, calling the decision the outcome of “tireless diplomatic efforts” coordinated between the Foreign Ministry, the Presidency, and the government.
Special thanks were extended to France, the penholder of the resolution, and to the United States for what the ministry called their constructive role and understanding of Lebanon’s circumstances. The ministry also praised “friendly and brotherly countries” that worked to secure consensus on the extension.
It further underscored Lebanon’s “commitment to the safety and security” of UNIFIL personnel, acknowledging their sacrifices in preserving stability since the force’s establishment in 1978.
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