After UNIFIL: Who will secure Southern Lebanon?

From the report

For nearly five decades, United Nations peacekeepers have monitored one of the Middle East’s most volatile frontiers. Their presence in southern Lebanon has helped maintain communication, observe security developments and support efforts to prevent renewed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Now, as the United Nations prepares to end the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mandate on December 31, 2026, the region faces a critical question: Who will maintain security after the peacekeepers leave?

The planned withdrawal, followed by a gradual departure during 2027, comes at a sensitive moment for Lebanon. The country is struggling with economic hardship, political divisions and the consequences of repeated conflicts. Meanwhile, the Lebanese government continues to face the challenge of establishing effective state authority over territory where Hezbollah has maintained an independent armed presence.

The concern is not simply the departure of international troops. It is whether Lebanon’s security institutions will be capable of preventing renewed militarization in the south before UNIFIL’s monitoring role disappears.