ISTANBUL

Lebanon on Thursday welcomed a vote by the United Nations Security Council to extend the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) in the country’s south for one year.

President Joseph Aoun expressed gratitude to all 15 members of the UN Security Council for their unanimous vote in favor of the extension, according to a presidency statement.

He singled out France, the council’s penholder, for its efforts, and the US for its understanding of Lebanon’s situation and support for a French draft resolution to extend the UNIFIL mandate until Dec. 31, 2026.

The resolution also directs the start of a coordinated, safe drawdown of the force within one year following that date.

“Thanks also go to all other members for their valuable observations that helped bring about this resolution,” Aoun said.

He expressed hope that the next 16 months of UNIFIL operations would offer an opportunity to stabilize the situation along Lebanon’s southern border.

Aoun said the final year of the UNIFIL mandate should serve as a fixed period to reinforce Lebanon’s sovereignty over its entire territory.

UNIFIL has been deployed since 1978 to monitor the ceasefire along the Lebanese-Israeli border and support the Lebanese Armed Forces in southern Lebanon.

Israel launched a military offensive in Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring around 17,000.

A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah activities.

Under the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.