The UN Security Council has delayed a vote on the future of its peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, as diplomats continue to negotiate over the future of the decades-old operation that has drawn opposition from the US and Israel.
The council is considering a French-drafted proposal that would extend the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, or Unifil, for another year while laying the groundwork for its eventual withdrawal.
The mission, established in 1978 to patrol the buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon, has become a flashpoint during the Gaza war.
UN diplomats had anticipated a vote as early as Monday, but sources said discussions over the text were continuing and that the vote is now expected on Friday.
US officials indicated that the French draft did not meet their red lines, preventing the text from progressing to a formal vote.
Washington, backed by Israel, has pushed for an immediate withdrawal of the force, saying Unifil’s presence no longer reflects realities in Lebanon.
After its initial proposal was rejected, France on Monday put forward an alternative resolution to extend Unifil mandate by 18 months, until December 31, 2026, aligning with Lebanon’s needs and initiating the mission’s withdrawal in the autumn of that year.
US envoy Tom Barrack told reporters in Beirut on Tuesday that his country would approve the extension of United Nations peacekeepers' mandate in Lebanon for one more year.
He noted disapprovingly that the force cost "a billion dollars a year".
The latest French draft, seen by The National, requests Unifil to "cease its operations on 31 December 2026 and to start from this date and within one year its orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal of its personnel, in close consultation with the Government of Lebanon."
The text underscores that the Lebanese government must assume full responsibility for security in the country’s south, with the Lebanese Armed Forces taking the lead in controlling all territory and ensuring stability.
Lebanon’s Cabinet this month charged the army with developing a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year, a move the powerful Iran-backed group has resisted. The issue of Hezbollah’s weapons has long divided Lebanese politics and created tension with Israel.
Under the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel was meant to fully withdraw from Lebanon but has kept troops in several areas it considers strategic. It has also continued air strikes across Lebanon, including one on Monday, claiming ceasefire breaches.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Monday that Israel was “ready to support” Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah and will implement a phased reduction of its military presence in Lebanon as a “reciprocal measure”.
The latest proposal requests that the Secretary General, by June 1, 2026, explore “options for the future implementation of Resolution 1701 (2006) following Unifil's withdrawal, including ways to enhance support for the LAF’s redeployment south of the Litani River through United Nations mechanisms.”
The multinational force's mandate ends on Sunday.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The years Ramadan fell in May
Jawan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAtlee%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Nayanthara%2C%20Vijay%20Sethupathi%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More coverage from the Future Forum
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
ATP WORLD No 1
2004 Roger Federer
2005 Roger Federer
2006 Roger Federer
2007 Roger Federer
2008 Rafael Nadal
2009 Roger Federer
2010 Rafael Nadal
2011 Novak Djokovic
2012 Novak Djokovic
2013 Rafael Nadal
2014 Novak Djokovic
2015 Novak Djokovic
2016 Andy Murray
2017 Rafael Nadal
2018 Novak Djokovic
2019 Rafael Nadal
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The five pillars of Islam
More on Quran memorisation:
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
