Eighty-six lawmakers have signed a petition demanding the renewal of UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, amid accelerating military developments along the border.
A cross-party parliamentary delegation led by MP Melhem Khalife has launched a broad campaign to secure the extension of UNIFIL's mandate in south Lebanon, warning of the security vacuum that would result if the international force withdrew. The petition backing the extension carries signatures from 86 parliamentarians, a figure that crosses sectarian and parliamentary bloc divisions. The delegation, numbering 20 MPs from different political affiliations, visited President Joseph Aoun to discuss UNIFIL's future and international presence in the south.
Khalife stressed the critical role that UNIFIL plays in verifying Israeli withdrawal, maintaining security and stability, and supporting the Lebanese Army in asserting state sovereignty over the southern territories. The force has been deployed in south Lebanon since 1978, but its mandate underwent fundamental change after the July 2006 war when the UN Security Council issued Resolution 1701, which expanded its numbers and mandates and tied its deployment directly to assisting the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River.
The core functions of UNIFIL include monitoring the military situation on the ground, helping to enforce the ceasefire, coordinating with the Lebanese Army, monitoring the Blue Line, and reporting violations and developments to the United Nations. Khalife said President Aoun confirmed to the delegation the importance of the issue and briefed the MPs on the diplomatic contacts he is conducting to extend the force's presence.
The parliamentary initiative comes at a delicate moment for UNIFIL's future, as military and security developments accelerate in the south alongside continued Israeli operations and breaches of the ceasefire. The timing reflects Lebanese concerns that any gap in UN presence in one of the region's most sensitive areas could prove dangerous. Khalife made clear that extending UNIFIL in its current form is the priority, but if that proves impossible, maintaining any form of international military presence should be the fallback option.
He called for the Lebanese diplomatic effort to include outreach to UN Security Council members and countries contributing forces to UNIFIL, with the aim of mobilizing support for continuing the international presence. The extension of UNIFIL has taken on added importance in light of rising tensions in the south, as the force forms part of the international framework tied to implementing Resolution 1701. Lebanese officials fear that its departure without a substitute UN arrangement in place could leave a dangerous void in the region.
The reach of 86 parliamentary signatures signals an attempt to present the international community with a broad Lebanese parliamentary consensus on the issue, coinciding with the formal diplomatic contacts Lebanon is conducting to ensure the UN role continues in the south. The campaign balances two scenarios: renewing UNIFIL's current mandate, or, should that fail, establishing an alternative UN arrangement capable of supporting the Lebanese Army and implementing international decisions in the coming period.
Separately, security analyst Brigadier Khaled Hamada said he expects no major Israeli military escalation in the current phase absent a green light from Washington, but cautioned against betting on American positions while Lebanon's state position on Hezbollah's weapons lacks any concrete executive measures. He said Hezbollah does not occupy a position that would allow it to shift the military balance on the ground, though if Israel moves to further occupation the group would respond, within limits that would not dislodge Israeli forces.
MP Qassem Hashem told Voice of All Lebanon that what occurs daily in the south cannot be described as a ceasefire, but rather that a comprehensive ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory must be established. He characterized weapons as an internal Lebanese matter to be resolved through national consensus, not subject to external or Israeli demands. Hashem pointed to Speaker Nabih Berri's position that if Israel observes a ceasefire and begins withdrawing, Hezbollah has committed to taking whatever steps are necessary to preserve Lebanese security and stability.
The competing voices underscore the complexity facing Lebanon as it navigates UNIFIL's future, Israeli military pressure in the south, and the question of Hezbollah's role in any security arrangement. The parliamentary petition represents a cross-cutting effort to secure international backing for UN presence, even as some analysts question whether external pressure alone can resolve deeper questions about the mechanics of any ceasefire and the internal Lebanese divisions over weapons and sovereignty. The outcome will depend both on international willingness to extend UNIFIL and on whether political agreement can be reached at home.
