Lebanon faces the end of UN peacekeeping mission: ‘Without the blue helmets there will be more impunity’
The United Nations plans to withdraw its peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, from Lebanon by January 2027 after 48 years, despite ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The decision follows pressure from the U.S. and Israel, leaving Lebanon vulnerable to increased instability and impunity, according to UNIFIL personnel like Irish Captain John Timmins.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) will withdraw its 7,478-strong contingent of soldiers from 47 countries by January 2027, ending a 48-year mission in a region still plagued by conflict. The UN Security Council approved the phased withdrawal in 2025, despite ongoing violence between the Israeli army and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. UNIFIL’s mandate has evolved since its creation in 1978 following Israel’s third invasion of Lebanon, initially tasked with overseeing the Israeli withdrawal and maintaining peace. After Hezbollah’s rise and the 2006 war, UN Resolution 1701 expanded UNIFIL’s role to enforce a ceasefire, assist Lebanon’s army deployment, and prevent Hezbollah’s armed presence in southern Lebanon. Captain John Timmins of the Irish-Polish Battalion, stationed near Israel’s occupied territories, describes UNIFIL’s work as documenting events to provide the UN with ground intelligence. The force operates from bases like UNP 2-45, monitoring clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, which controls vast areas of southern Lebanon. The withdrawal raises concerns about rising impunity and instability, as Lebanon’s fragile government struggles to maintain security without UNIFIL’s presence. U.S. pressure and Israel’s opposition to the mission have accelerated its dismantling, mirroring the conditions that led to its establishment in 1978. Lebanon’s southern regions, where UNIFIL has maintained a visible presence, risk reverting to chaos without international oversight. Local communities, some of whom have integrated UN personnel into daily life, fear increased violence and a return to past conflicts.
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