Middle East & North Africa
Lebanon: Beirut wants the UN as a “third party” between the IDF and the Lebanese army after UNIFIL leaves – Lacroix warns
At the end of a three-day visit to Lebanon, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the Lebanese authorities want the UN to remain a “third party” between the Israeli army and the Lebanese Armed Forces once UNIFIL withdraws.
The Lebanese authorities want the United Nations to remain a “third party” in southern Lebanon after the departure of UNIFIL, so that escalation between the Israeli army and the Lebanese Armed Forces is prevented. UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said so at the end of a three-day visit to the country (October 14-16). “The Lebanese authorities themselves have made clear that they believe there must be this third party, the UN, so that uncontrolled escalation is avoided and incidents between the IDF and the Lebanese army do not get out of hand,” he said, according to a UNIFIL statement.
UNIFIL is preparing its gradual drawdown and withdrawal, as its mandate expires on December 31, 2026. Security Council Resolution 2790, adopted unanimously in August 2025 on a French draft, provides for the end of operations at the end of the year and up to one year for the withdrawal. The force, established in March 1978, numbers about 7,500 peacekeepers at around 50 positions, most of which are now in areas under Israeli control. Proposals for the day after are already before the Security Council, which, UNIFIL notes, is examining options for the period after the mission.
Lacroix met President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Defence Minister Michel Menassa, Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji and army commander General Rodolphe Haykal. They discussed the implementation of Resolution 1701, UNIFIL’s work and the options after its departure. The French official voiced concern about the future of the Blue Line and about support for the communities of the south, and also visited UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, where the peacekeepers operate in a “particularly demanding operational environment”.
Earlier in the visit, Lacroix had warned that the presence of Israeli and Lebanese troops in the same area creates a “risk of escalation” and that UNIFIL must not abandon its positions “prematurely, before we know what comes next”. The EU is preparing a training mission for the Lebanese army, while in the south Israeli operations continue, with accusations of a media “blackout” in the security zone.