Aoun stresses importance of UNIFIL's presence in south

President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday warned against ending the United Nations peacekeepers' mandate in the country's south, after the U.N. Security Council began debating extending their mission.

The annual mandate renewal this year comes after Lebanese authorities, under heavy U.S. pressure, have committed to disarming Hezbollah by year end, following a November ceasefire deal that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities between the Iran-backed group and Israel.

Israel and the United States, which wields a veto on the Security Council, have reportedly opposed the renewal.

"Any timetable for the mandate of UNIFIL that is different from the actual needs will negatively impact the situation in the south, which still suffers from Israeli occupation," Aoun told force commander Diodato Abagnara, according to a presidency statement.

The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon has been deployed since 1978 to separate Israel and Lebanon and counts some 10,000 personnel from around 50 countries.

The Security Council on Monday began debating a resolution drafted by France to extend the force for a year with the ultimate aim of withdrawing it.

Aoun said Lebanon "has begun contacts with Security Council member states, and brotherly and friendly countries, to ensure the extension" of UNIFIL's mandate.

He cited Lebanon's need for the force to help "maintain security and stability in the south" and to support the army following the government's decision to increase troop numbers there to 10,000 personnel.

Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was to withdraw from near the Israeli border, while the Lebanese Army was to bolster its deployment there.

Abagnara said on X that UNIFIL's "close coordination" with the Lebanese Army was "key to help restore stability."

Last week, UNIFIL said that with its support, the army had deployed to more than 120 positions in the country's south.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued to strike Lebanon, saying it will do so until Hezbollah is disarmed. Israeli forces also occupy five areas of the south that Israel deems strategic.

The text of the draft resolution would extend UNIFIL's mandate until August 31, 2026 but "indicates its intention to work on a withdrawal of UNIFIL."

A vote of the 15-member Security Council is expected on August 25, before the force's mandate expires at the end of the month.