Lebanon Urges Follow-Up Force in South as UN Peacekeepers Exit; Tensions Flare Over Karam Appointment

Lebanon Seeks Security Backup Ahead of UNIFIL Withdrawal

Beirut — Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told a visiting U.N. Security Council delegation that Lebanon will need a follow-up international force in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel to fill the security gap when the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ends its mandate at the close of 2026.

Salam proposed a modest, monitoring-oriented contingent modeled on the long-standing U.N. observer mission along the Israel-Syria frontier (deployed since 1974). He said such a force could bolster Lebanese Army operations that have been stepped up in the volatile border area that saw a 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

The Security Council delegation, which visited Lebanon after meeting officials in Syria, did not immediately respond to the proposal. Earlier the same day, President Joseph Aoun said Beirut would welcome any country that chose to keep troops in southern Lebanon once UNIFIL withdraws. UNIFIL, deployed nearly five decades ago, has played a central role monitoring the frontier and supporting stability.

Karam Appointment Sparks Hezbollah Backlash

The Lebanese government’s appointment of former ambassador to Washington Simon Karam to lead Lebanon’s delegation to the previously military-only committee that oversees the U.S.-brokered cease-fire has provoked sharp criticism from Hezbollah. Deputy leader Naim Kassem said the move was effectively a "concession" to Israel and insisted it would not change "the enemy’s stance and its aggression," referring to continuing Israeli strikes attributed to operations against Hezbollah elements.

Naim Kassem: "This appointment is a concession to Israel and will not change the enemy’s stance and its aggression."

The U.N. reports that Israeli strikes since the cease-fire took effect in November have killed 127 civilians. Israel’s air force said it carried out a series of strikes in south Lebanon targeting what it called Hezbollah infrastructure, issuing warnings beforehand to allow evacuations.

Wider Context

The latest round of major hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah followed the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, after which Hezbollah fired rockets in solidarity with Hamas. Israel’s subsequent operation, which included intensive bombardment and ground action, has significantly degraded Hezbollah’s military capabilities. The UNIFIL exit also comes amid past U.S. moves to cut funding for the mission under the administration of former President Donald Trump.

Outlook: Lebanon is pushing for an international follow-up presence to avoid a security vacuum along the border, but any arrangement will require international agreement and will likely face political pushback from Hezbollah and other regional actors.