Radio Interview regarding the departure of the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL on 31 December 2026

Hilversum, 31 August 2025

After almost fifty years, the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in Lebanon is coming to an end.

The UN Security Council has unanimously decided that the multinational peacekeeping mission will end on December 31, 2026 and be phased out in 2027.
The UN peacekeeping mission was set up after the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon in 1978. Their goal is to keep the peace in the border area. The positions of the blue helmets were repeatedly under fire during the latest fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.
Under pressure from the US, the mission comes to an end.
An earlier version of the proposal referred to an "intention" to withdraw. "The security situation in Lebanon is radically different from a year ago," said the American ambassador to the UN today. "That gives Lebanon room to take greater responsibility." However, it is known that President Trump no longer wants to pay for the UN operation. France and Italy stood up for Lebanon. They warned that a hasty departure of UNIFIL will create a power vacuum and thus an opportunity for Hezbollah to reorganize.

The resolution states that UNIFIL will cease its operations on December 31, 2026 and will begin the orderly and safe withdrawal of its personnel within a year from that date. The goal is for the Lebanese government to become the sole provider of security in southern Lebanon.

Click on the photo below and scroll down for the full interview.