Lebanon PM warns of vacuum if UNIFIL peacekeepers withdraw
Quick Look
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged the UN to maintain UNIFIL peacekeeping troops in Lebanon beyond their mandate expiry at year's end, warning that withdrawal without a replacement force risks creating a security vacuum as Israel maintains troops in its self-declared security zone in south Lebanon.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
UNIFIL has been deployed in Lebanon since 1978, but its mandate is set to expire at the end of 2026. The US previously pushed to terminate the mandate, and Israel maintains troops in a self-declared security zone extending about 10 kilometers into south Lebanon.
Lebanon's prime minister has told the UN that the withdrawal of peacekeeping troops risks creating a vacuum. Leaders from Pakistan and Iraq are also speaking on day 4 of a conference dominated by the Middle East.
UNGA Day 4 opened with remarks from Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam as well as the prime ministers of Iraq and Pakistan and others
Salam called for peacekeepers to remain in his country as Israel operates in a self-declared 'security zone' in south Lebanon
The address came one day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered defiant and controversial remarks on Thursday afternoon
The president of Kiribati and the vice president of the Maldives, two island nations acutely threatened by rising sea levels, also addressed the General Assembly on Friday
Read below for all the top headlines, videos and analyses on the 81 UN General Assembly from September 22-28, 2026:
Lebanon PM calls for peacekeeping troops after UNIFIL mandate ends
Lebanon Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has called for the UN to keep its UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) peacekeeping troops in place after their mandate expires at year's end.
"What we wish to stress here and today is the need to avert the vacuum that UNIFIL's withdrawal could create, were it to take place without agreement on a new international force to replace it," he said.
The UN's troops, currently numbering 7,500 from 46 different countries, have been in Lebanon since 1978.
Last year, however, the US pushed the UN Security Council to terminate the mandate when it ran out.
UNIFIL's expected departure comes as Israel maintains troops in its own self-declared "security zone" extending some 10 kilometers (6 miles) into south Lebanon.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The UN Security Council will debate a resolution to extend or replace UNIFIL's mandate before year's end.
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- Will the UN Security Council approve a replacement force for UNIFIL?
- What is the timeline for UNIFIL's withdrawal if no replacement is agreed upon?
- How will Israel respond to any new international force in south Lebanon?
