UNIFIL and Lebanese Army: Joint Pillar of Southern Stability

A fragile balance amid regional escalation

By Daoud Rammal (originally in Arabic) | English version prepared by Akhbar al-Yawm

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the continued presence of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), amid growing regional and border tensions.

Speaking during a meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix at the Baabda Presidential Palace, Aoun emphasized that UNIFIL remains a "pillar of stability" in southern Lebanon, and warned that any attempt to reduce its scope, funding, or mandate would jeopardize security in the area.

"UNIFIL is not just a symbolic presence. It is an essential component of the fragile balance that has existed since the 2006 war", Aoun said. He underscored Lebanon’s full cooperation with the peacekeeping force, despite the Lebanese Army operating under strained financial and logistical conditions.

He also criticized Israel for what he described as its ongoing violations of Lebanese sovereignty, including continued occupation of disputed territories and regular air, land, and sea incursions. "Lebanon has upheld its obligations under Resolution 1701, while Israel has yet to comply", Aoun noted.

Lacroix acknowledged that discussions on renewing UNIFIL’s mandate are underway at the UN, amid diverging views among Security Council members over the mission’s authority. While reiterating UN support for Lebanon, he noted that these internal debates could impact the force’s future scope and configuration.

Lebanese officials insist that any change to the force’s role must preserve the existing coordination between UNIFIL, the Lebanese Army, and the government. With the situation in Gaza and along the southern border growing increasingly volatile, they argue that maintaining the mission’s current mandate is critical to preventing a wider conflict.

"Stability in southern Lebanon is not a given, it is a delicate balance that must be preserved", Aoun said, calling on the international community to provide continued financial and political backing for the mission and to hold Israel accountable for its obligations under international law.