'Strong support’ at UN to extend UNIFIL for limited period
The U.N. Security Council met behind closed doors Friday and discussed a request by Lebanon’s government to extend the mandate for the 8,100-member UNIFIL force, which is supposed to end on Dec. 31, two diplomats with knowledge of the discussion said.
While there was “strong support” among the 15 council members to extend the mandate for the force, known as UNIFIL, it wasn’t unanimous, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed.
Israel has pressed for the closure of UNIFIL for years, and last year the United States, its closest ally, succeeded in forcing its closure on Dec. 31. But that was before the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which erupted on March 2.
Despite a June 20 truce, airstrikes and clashes have continued.
The two diplomats said U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz attended Friday’s council meeting, listened to the members, and didn’t say yes or no to a limited extension of UNIFIL.
Source: Associated Press
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