WASHINGTON: The future of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon has split the United States and its European allies, raising implications for security in the Middle East and becoming the latest snag to vex relations between the US and key partners like France, Britain and Italy.
At issue is the peacekeeping operation known as UNIFIL, whose mandate expires at the end of August and will need to be renewed by the UN Security Council to continue. It was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion, and its mission was expanded following the monthlong 2006 war between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.
The multinational force has played a significant role in monitoring the security situation in southern Lebanon for decades, including during the Israel-Hezbollah war last year, but has drawn criticism from both sides and numerous US lawmakers, some of whom now hold prominent roles in President Donald Trump’s administration or wield new influence with the White House.
Trump administration political appointees came into office this year with the aim of shutting down UNIFIL as soon as possible. They regard the operation as an ineffectual waste of money that is merely delaying the goal of eliminating Hezbollah’s influence and restoring full security control to the Lebanese Armed Forces that the government says it is not yet capable of doing.
After securing major cuts in US funding to the peacekeeping force, Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed off early last week on a plan that would wind down and end UNIFIL in the next six months, according to Trump administration officials and congressional aides familiar with the discussions.
It’s another step as the Trump administration drastically pares back its foreign affairs priorities and budget, including expressing skepticism of international alliances and cutting funding to UN agencies and missions. The transatlantic divide also has been apparent on issues ranging from Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine conflict to trade, technology and free speech issues.
Europeans push back against a quick end to UN peacekeeping in Lebanon
Israel has for years sought an end to UNIFIL’s mandate, and renewal votes have often come after weeks of political wrangling. Now, the stakes are particularly high after last year’s war and more vigorous opposition in Washington.
European nations, notably France and Italy, have objected to winding down UNIFIL. With the support of Tom Barrack, US ambassador to Turkiye and envoy to Lebanon, they successfully lobbied Rubio and others to support a one-year extension of the peacekeeping mandate followed by a time-certain wind-down period of six months, according to the administration officials and congressional aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic negotiations.
Israel also reluctantly agreed to an extension, they said.
The European argument was that prematurely ending UNIFIL before the Lebanese army is able to fully secure the border area would create a vacuum that Hezbollah could easily exploit.
The French noted that when a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali was terminated before government troops were ready to deal with security threats, Islamic extremists moved in.
With the US easing off, the issue ahead of the UN vote expected at the end of August now appears to be resistance by France and others to setting a firm deadline for the operation to end after the one-year extension, according to the officials and congressional aides.
French officials did not respond to requests for comment.
The final French draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, does not include a date for UNIFIL’s withdrawal, which US officials say is required for their support. Instead, it would extend the peacekeeping mission for one year and indicates the UN Security Council’s “intention to work on a withdrawal.”
But even if the mandate is renewed, the peacekeeping mission might be scaled down for financial reasons, with the UN system likely facing drastic budget cuts, said a UN official, who was not authorized to comment to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
One of the US officials said an option being considered was reducing UNIFIL’s numbers while boosting its technological means to monitor the situation on the ground.
The peacekeeping force has faced criticism
There are about 10,000 peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese army has around 6,000 soldiers, a number that is supposed to increase to 10,000.
Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon have frequently accused the UN mission of collusion with Israel and sometimes attacked peacekeepers on patrol. Israel, meanwhile, has accused the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah’s military activities in southern Lebanon and lobbied for its mandate to end.
Sarit Zehavi, a former Israeli military intelligence analyst and founder of the Israeli think tank Alma Research and Education Center, said UNIFIL has played a “damaging role with regard to the mission of disarming Hezbollah in south Lebanon.”
She pointed to the discovery of Hezbollah tunnels and weapons caches close to UNIFIL facilities during and after last year’s Israel-Hezbollah war, when much of the militant group’s senior leadership was killed and much of its arsenal destroyed. Hezbollah is now under increasing pressure to give up the rest of its weapons.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said UNIFIL continues to discover unauthorized weapons, including rocket launchers, mortar rounds and bomb fuses, this week, which it reported to the Lebanese army.
Under the US- and France-brokered ceasefire, Israel and Hezbollah were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese army taking control in conjunction with UNIFIL. Israel has continued to occupy five strategic points on the Lebanese side and carry out near-daily airstrikes that it says aim to stop Hezbollah from regrouping.
Lebanon supports keeping UN peacekeepers
Lebanese officials have called for UNIFIL to remain, saying the country’s cash-strapped and overstretched army is not yet able to patrol the full area on its own until it.
Retired Lebanese Army Gen. Khalil Helou said that if UNIFIL’s mandate were to abruptly end, soldiers would need to be pulled away from the porous border with Syria, where smuggling is rife, or from other areas inside of Lebanon — “and this could have consequences for the stability” of the country.
UNIFIL “is maybe not fulfilling 100 percent what the Western powers or Israel desire. But for Lebanon, their presence is important,” he said.
The United Nations also calls the peacekeepers critical to regional stability, Dujarric said.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said deciding on the renewal of the mandate is the prerogative of the UN Security Council.
“We are here to assist the parties in implementation of the mission’s mandate and we’re waiting for the final decision,” he said.
Trump administration wants to end the UN peacekeeping in Lebanon. Europe is pushing back
https://arab.news/bzznr
Trump administration wants to end the UN peacekeeping in Lebanon. Europe is pushing back
- The divide is the latest issue to vex relations between the US and several of its key partners as the Trump administration moves drastically to pare down its foreign affairs priorities and budget
- The multinational force has played a significant role in monitoring the security situation in southern Lebanon for decades, including during the war last year
Nations must stop arming Sudan factions, ICC should deliver Gaza justice, EU envoy Kajsa Ollongren tells Arab News
- EU special representative for human rights warns governments are flouting multilateral rules designed to safeguard civilians during conflict
- Kajsa Ollongren says EU must work with states committed to multilateralism and humanitarian law to preserve a rules-based global order
NEW YORK CITY: Kajsa Ollongren, the EU special representative for human rights, has warned that Sudan is enduring “atrocities beyond imagination,” urging all countries supplying arms to the warring factions to immediately halt transfers.
Speaking to Arab News following missions to Lebanon and Egypt and a human rights dialogue with Saudi Arabia, Ollongren said foreign weapons are fueling one of the world’s most devastating and under-reported conflicts, with no political resolution in sight.
Her comments came shortly after Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, issued one of his starkest warnings yet that Sudan faces “another wave of atrocities,” with civilians facing ethnic cleansing and mass displacement.
Turk has repeatedly cautioned that the violence could reach “catastrophic levels” if the flow of weapons continues. Ollongren said these warnings match what she has heard from regional human rights personnel.
“The atrocities are really beyond your imagination,” she told Arab News. “For a long time, the world did not pay enough attention to what was happening in Sudan. We are paying attention now, at least, but attention alone will not stop it.”
She said that governments enabling the conflict must be confronted. “There also has to be genuine interaction with those countries providing weapons. Without those weapons, we would see an end to the atrocities sooner … It’s unacceptable.”
She said coordinated pressure from Europe, the Gulf, and the wider international community is essential. “It’s very important, at the Gulf level, in Europe, and globally, to call for a stop to arms exports,” she added.
The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 when a power struggle between armed forces chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, erupted into open conflict.
About 12 million people have been displaced, according to UN figures, creating what many consider to be the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe. Death toll estimates vary widely, with the former US envoy for Sudan suggesting as many as 400,000 have been killed.
Although the Sudanese Armed Forces have reclaimed the capital, Khartoum, from the RSF, the country is effectively bisected, with the SAF-led government controlling the east and the RSF and allied militias dominating the west, including the troubled Darfur region.
October produced one of the most brutal episodes of the conflict, when RSF fighters captured El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and began slaughtering civilians, triggering mass displacement.
Sudan has returned to the diplomatic spotlight following Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent visit to Washington, where he discussed developments with US President Donald Trump and urged a more active role in ending the conflict and preventing regional spillover.
Soon after, Trump announced that the US would “immediately start a new effort” to end the conflict in Sudan, which he described as “the most violent place on Earth and the single biggest humanitarian crisis” — a move widely interpreted as a response to the crown prince’s appeal.
“The fact that the president of the US comments this way about the atrocities is important, and it will be heard in Sudan,” Ollongren said.
But she cautioned that declarations alone are meaningless without serious follow-through. “It’s not enough to just declare an end to a war or conflict,” she said. “There has to be a plan — one that includes reconstruction, accountability, and rebuilding societies while empowering the victims.”
Turning to Lebanon, Ollongren said she sensed “momentum” during her recent meetings in Beirut, where diplomatic engagement has accelerated since the ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war a year ago.
This comes despite Israel’s refusal to withdraw from southern Lebanon and its continued strikes against suspected Hezbollah positions, including last month’s attack on a Beirut neighborhood that killed a militia commander.
Hezbollah’s leaders insist they will not disarm until Israel withdraws its troops.
“There is momentum for more peace and stability and for a stable future for many countries in the region,” Ollongren said. “I see the role that Saudi Arabia is taking in all of this, and also Egypt’s efforts to negotiate between parties.”
Still, she emphasized the fragility of the situation. “There is still uncertainty about whether the ceasefire is being violated, and there is not yet a clear plan to disarm Hezbollah,” she said.
“Accountability is crucial. In Lebanon, we talked a lot about political assassinations and the Beirut port explosion. All of that has to be addressed with justice, because without it impunity persists, which can lead to further issues in the future.”
On Syria, which she plans to visit early next year, Ollongren said the situation remains unstable.
“We’ve seen violence and casualties in several parts of the country. It is not under control,” she said, referring to attacks on ethnic and religious minorities over the past year since the Assad regime was forced from power.
Although she welcomed the recent return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon as “a good sign,” she cautioned that broader stabilization remains distant as the transitional government of President Ahmad Al-Sharaa pursues national reintegration and sanctions relief.
Ollongren also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s growing diplomatic influence as one of the most significant shifts in the region. “Saudi Arabia is taking a different path,” she said, referencing Vision 2030 reforms and the Kingdom’s expanded global engagement.
“Saudi Arabia is also engaging with Europe and the EU, establishing ties that could be very important for a more stable Middle East.
“Of course, this also recalibrates the influence of other powers. Egypt has played a longstanding role but is struggling with its economy and population pressures. Saudi Arabia’s engagement could be very impactful.”
On Gaza, Ollongren described “complete destruction” and extremely limited access as challenges for media and humanitarian efforts. “We have not had independent journalists able to report on casualties or destruction,” she said.
“Bit by bit, more is coming out, and we see complete destruction in many parts of Gaza. People have no homes to return to and have lost a huge number of civilians, including children. There must be accountability.”
Israel launched its military operations in Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people and in which 250 were taken hostage. Since then, about 70,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza health ministry.
A fragile ceasefire came into force on Oct. 10, with Israeli forces scaling back operations in exchange for Hamas releasing its remaining hostages. A small flow of humanitarian aid has been allowed into the territory, but medical, nutritional, and shelter needs remain immense.
Ollongren emphasized that accountability for alleged war crimes committed by both sides must be secured through the International Criminal Court.
“The ICC should play a role in this,” she said. “They have looked at both Hamas and Israel. That is the right place to seek justice and accountability.”
Asked whether European states support ICC arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, Ollongren said: “We are signatories to the Rome Statute, so we are bound by the treaty.
“The court decides on arrests, cases, and prosecutions independently. Our role is to ensure its independence and continued functioning. So yes.”
A growing number of legal scholars, including a UN independent international commission of inquiry, have concluded that genocide has taken place in Gaza over the past two years.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, recently told Arab News that EU and Western responses to the genocide in Gaza have been “pathetic, hypocritical, and shaped by double standards.”
She said that the same governments invoking international law to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine have been largely silent on Gaza, allowing “egregious violations” to unfold.
Ollongren responded to the criticism. “We should, and we must, apply international law consistently in all cases,” she said.
“We feel the accusation of double standards. After the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, Europe was very supportive of Israel, recognizing its right to defend itself. But as the war in Gaza unfolded and civilian casualties mounted, we became more critical.
“The EU has increasingly called on Israel to abide by international humanitarian law and has worked to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need.
“At the same time, we support the Palestinian Authority in taking a governance role. I think we have now become a much more critical and fair partner for both sides.”
Asked whether the international system is failing, she said the problem lies not with institutions but with governments.
“The architecture we have needs to be protected,” she said. “We don’t need a new system. The problem is that it is not being respected. That is why it’s important for the EU to engage with countries that uphold the multilateral system, the rule of law, and international humanitarian law.
“These frameworks were designed to protect the most vulnerable in conflicts, not prevent wars.”
She concluded with a message to civilians in Gaza and Sudan.
“I understand that you have lost faith in the international system because it was not there to protect you when you were attacked and lost loved ones,” she said.
“It’s still the best system we have. From my side, I will focus on accountability and justice, because from a human rights perspective, that is what I must do for you.”
