"The United Nations Security Council voted on Thursday to extend the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, until the end of 2026 and then to begin an orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal over the course of 2027. The winding down of UNIFIL has been pushed heavily by Israel and the United States, who accuse the group of providing political cover for Hezbollah since the 2006 war and failing to work to disarm Hezbollah,"
"UNIFIL will stay in south Lebanon until December 31, 2026. After that, it will have a year to withdraw its troops and hand over control of the area to the Lebanese Army. The development seems to be in Israel's favour, considering Israel's disproportionate advantage in military power, technology, and US support. Israel regularly hits Lebanon with military attacks, and even before October 2023, when Hezbollah entered the war with Israel, Israel's air force regularly violated Lebanon's airspace with surveillance flyovers."
The UN Security Council extended UNIFIL's mandate through December 31, 2026, with an orderly drawdown and withdrawal scheduled over 2027. Israel and the United States pushed for winding down UNIFIL, accusing the force of providing political cover for Hezbollah and of failing to disarm the group despite disarmament not being UNIFIL's stated mission. Israel continues to occupy at least five points on Lebanese territory after its October invasion, and a November ceasefire requirement for Israeli withdrawal has not been implemented. The Lebanese Army is expected to assume control of south Lebanon after UNIFIL's withdrawal, amid persistent Israeli military superiority and airspace violations.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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