After nearly half a century, the blue helmets may finally be leaving southern Lebanon—and the harder question is not when they go, but what happens the morning after.
In a new explainer, Felice Friedson examines the approaching end of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose normal operations are scheduled to cease Dec. 31, 2026, followed by an orderly withdrawal lasting no more than a year. France and Italy are exploring a multinational arrangement to support the Lebanese Armed Forces, while Lebanon is pressing for more time before UNIFIL shuts down.
UNIFIL has been part of southern Lebanon since 1978, but its mandate expanded after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the territory between the Blue Line and the Litani River was supposed to contain no armed forces or weapons except those of the Lebanese state and UNIFIL. Hezbollah nevertheless built extensive military infrastructure there, fueling years of Israeli criticism that the peacekeeping force failed to prevent the group’s entrenchment. UNIFIL counters that it was never mandated to forcibly disarm Hezbollah.
The mission does far more than patrol. Its more than 7,500 peacekeepers observe and document violations, assist the Lebanese military, escort humanitarian convoys and provide a rare communications channel between Israel and Lebanon, which have no diplomatic relations and technically remain at war. More than half of UNIFIL’s nearly 50 bases are now in Israeli-controlled territory in southern Lebanon.
Replacing those functions will not be simple. European countries may help train and advise the Lebanese army, but an advisory mission would not necessarily patrol the border, investigate violations, or provide the same liaison mechanism. Meanwhile, the deeper disputes remain unresolved: Israel wants Hezbollah prevented from rebuilding its military infrastructure; Lebanon demands an Israeli withdrawal; and President Joseph Aoun says Hezbollah ultimately must disarm without plunging the country into internal conflict.
Friedson’s explainer lays out what UNIFIL actually does, why its record remains contested, and why replacing blue helmets with military advisers could leave critical gaps. Read the full explainer at The Media Line for a closer look at what southern Lebanon may face when a peacekeeping presence that has lasted almost 50 years begins to disappear.