UNIFIL pullout next year worries south Lebanon villages

UNIFIL's planned withdrawal from south Lebanon next year is worrying residents of border villages who say the UN peacekeeping force has become central to local security, jobs and community life.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon has served as a buffer since Israel first invaded Lebanon in 1978. The UN Security Council voted to end its mandate on December 31, 2026, after pressure from Washington.

In Ibl al-Saqi, near the Israeli border, shop owner Mark Diab said the force's departure would hurt the local economy and affect relationships built over decades. His shop is near a UNIFIL base and sells clothes, alcohol, headphones and other items.

Mayor George Rahhal said the peacekeepers had supported security, the economy, healthcare, schools and sick residents. He said many villagers were UNIFIL employees or contractors and that almost the entire community would be affected economically, directly or indirectly.

UNIFIL has about 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries. Spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said it also has around 400 national staff and works with numerous local companies providing contracted services.

Lebanon has called for UNIFIL's mandate to be extended, fearing a security vacuum while hostilities prevent the Lebanese army, whose resources are limited, from deploying across the country's south.

Ibl al-Saqi lies just outside an Israeli-declared security zone running about 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory along the border. Israeli troops operate nearby, and locals advised journalists to avoid southern parts of the village.

More than 4,300 people have been killed in Lebanon since March, including seven peacekeepers caught in crossfire. Israel still carries out strikes and demolitions despite a lull in hostilities since late June.