UN chief proposes new post-UNIFIL force for southern Lebanon amid UN Security Council debate

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed to the UN Security Council that a new force be established to replace the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). UNIFIL is the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. According to a letter sent to the Security Council and obtained by i24NEWS’s Amichai Stein, the new force would include hundreds or even thousands of soldiers, and its role would be to ensure that the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel is maintained.

The proposal appears to offer a workaround for the Security Council's decision last year to terminate UNIFIL by creating a new mission under a different framework. Last August, the UN Security Council, under US pressure, decided to end the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on December 31, 2026.

Currently, UNIFIL has about 7,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries deployed along the Blue Line—the de facto border that stretches for about 120 kilometers between Lebanon and Israel. The force has been operating in southern Lebanon since 1978.

In his letter, the UN Secretary-General presents three possible alternatives for establishing the new force:

The most comprehensive alternative includes the deployment of about 350 UN military observers, assisted by four infantry battalions of 750 soldiers each, as well as a reserve force of 700 soldiers. This force will be able to monitor most of the Blue Line, conduct patrols as far as the Litani River, investigate violations, coordinate closely with the Lebanese army and the IDF, and even physically position itself between the parties to prevent escalation. It will also assist in supervising the ceasefire and strengthening the Lebanese state’s control over the south of the country.

The medium option includes 285 military observers, two infantry battalions of 750 soldiers each, and a reserve force of 450 soldiers. This force would retain some capacity for direct monitoring along the Blue Line and investigating violations of Security Council Resolution 1701, but on a smaller scale. Coordination between the parties would continue, but its ability to separate hostile forces or help de-escalate incidents would be limited. Support for the Lebanese Army's operations would also be more limited.

The most limited option includes 215 unarmed military observers, protected by two battalions of 450 soldiers each, as well as a rapid reaction force of 350 soldiers. Under this model, the UN would focus primarily on observation and reporting. The force would be able to monitor only parts of the Blue Line, investigate some of the violations, and assist in communication between the parties, but it would not have the ability to mediate between the IDF and the Lebanese forces or contribute significantly to preventing escalation. Its engineering, demining, and enforcement capabilities would also be extremely limited.

All three options are based on an extensive assistance system, including medical evacuation helicopters, engineering and demining units, surveillance systems, drones, radars, and satellite imagery. The UN notes that without these technological means, it would not be possible to conduct continuous monitoring of the entire Blue Line.

Contrary to the Security Council resolution, the report does not present an option for ending the UN military presence in southern Lebanon but only various alternatives for the continued existence of an international force in the region.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told i24NEWS, "After years of complete failure to implement Resolution 1701, the UN is now proposing to replace a failed force with a new force under a different name. A clear decision has been made to end the UNIFIL mandate at the end of the year, and there is no justification for trying to circumvent it. Those who have failed to prevent Hezbollah from arming themselves for two decades will not produce different results if they wear a different uniform and receive a new title."