President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have backed the extension of UNIFIL's mandate, welcoming a parliamentary petition signed by 86 lawmakers calling for the continued presence of UN forces in southern Lebanon.
President Joseph Aoun on Monday welcomed a parliamentary initiative and petition calling for the extension of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. He received a delegation led by MP Melhem Khalaf, who presented him with a petition signed by 86 parliamentarians, more than two-thirds of the parliament, supporting the continuation of UNIFIL's mission. The president affirmed that extending the mandate was Lebanon's first choice.
Aoun underscored the strategic value of the international force. The presence of UNIFIL in the south helps keep residents in their villages and towns and strengthens stability through cooperation and coordination with the Lebanese Army, he said. He stressed that Israel has rejected UNIFIL's presence and exerted pressure for nearly a year to see it withdrawn, while Lebanon demands its continuation.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received a separate parliamentary delegation on the same day that included MPs Bilal al-Hashimi, Agop Begardionian, Jamil Aboud, Adnan Traboulsi, Farid al-Bustani, Michel Moussa, Yassin Yassin, Agop Terzian, Bilal Abdullah, Haidar Nasrallah, Imad al-Hout, Najat Saliba, Ibrahim Mneimneh, Paula Yacoubian, Selim al-Sayegh, Firas Hamdan, and Walid al-Bayrini. The delegation presented the signed petition to the prime minister.
Salam thanked the MPs for their initiative and reaffirmed Lebanon's official position. The government remains committed to the need for a UN force in the south with three essential tasks: monitoring and reporting, coordination and liaison, he said. Salam stated that he had personally informed the UN Secretary-General of Lebanon's clear stance during the secretary-general's visit to Beirut and in subsequent communications.
The prime minister noted that the UN chief had shown understanding of the need for a continued international presence in the south to succeed UNIFIL, a position reflected in his recent report on the matter. Salam said the government views the 86-MP petition as expressing the clear will of parliament to move toward a national decision to maintain the UN umbrella on Lebanese soil.
The petition represents a significant show of parliamentary support for maintaining international oversight. Salam emphasized that the three functions of monitoring and reporting, coordination and liaison have been tied to UNIFIL since its establishment in 1978. The delegation carried the petition to the prime minister with the aim of underscoring the necessity of maintaining these specific tasks.
Salam described the current regional situation as critical. The country faces a storm and earthquake affecting the region, he said, using metaphorical language to describe the gravity of the security situation. In these circumstances, Lebanon requires permanent stability, particularly in the south, through adherence to international legitimacy and UN resolutions backed by the international umbrella currently embodied by UNIFIL.
The prime minister acknowledged the possibility of changes to the nature of the force but insisted on certain requirements. While the character of the force might transform in some way, it must remain a UN force that preserves international legitimacy, he said. This UN umbrella, which the parliamentary majority supports, is essential to maintaining international legal frameworks for any international presence in the region.
Aoun outlined a fallback position should extension prove impossible. If UNIFIL's mandate cannot be extended, Lebanon's second choice is to adopt a formula guaranteeing the continued presence of international forces in the south within the required legal framework, he said. Such forces would need to operate alongside and coordinate with the Lebanese Army while supporting stability and carrying out assigned tasks.
Both leaders stressed the centrality of international coordination to Lebanon's security. The fundamental idea, according to Aoun, is to create a breakthrough that guarantees continued international presence in the south through either extending UNIFIL's mandate or deploying additional international forces in a way that preserves stability and strengthens the role of the Lebanese state and army. The parliamentary petition and leadership statements signal unified resolve on this point among Lebanon's political establishment, at least on this issue.
