UN peacekeeping chief says talks on future of Lebanon mission must begin soon

UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Wednesday urged the UN Security Council to begin negotiations on the future of peacekeepers deployed in

Lebanon, as Beirut campaigns for an extension to the mandate set to expire at the end of this year.



A UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL has been deployed in southern Lebanon since 1978 but the Security Council last year ordered the mission to begin withdrawing at the end of 2026.



Since a new war erupted in March between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, the Lebanese government has campaigned for an extension to UNIFIL's mandate, citing its role in monitoring hostilities and facilitating aid deliveries to villages in Israeli-occupied zones.



UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier this year presented proposals for a continued uniformed UN presence in Lebanon but no action has been taken yet, Lacroix told Reuters in Beirut.