Lebanon faces uncertainty as UNIFIL mandate nears end

As the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon , or UNIFIL, nears its end, uncertainty over the future of southern Lebanon is growing. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has warned of the need to "avert the vacuum that UNIFIL's withdrawal could create, were it to take place without agreement on a new international force to replace it." The Lebanese government has also been pushing for a last-minute extension of UNIFIL's mandate, but so far without success . It is most likely that the 7,565 peacekeepers from 46 countries will begin withdrawing from the UN-patrolled so-called Blue Line zone on December 31, 2026.