Israeli-American proposal to end or extend UNIFIL in Lebanon.

The Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post reported on Monday that Tel Aviv and Washington have proposed a complete termination of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), or a limited extension that includes a withdrawal coordinated with the Lebanese army.

The newspaper quoted an unnamed diplomatic source as saying that Israel and the United States informed members of the United Nations Security Council of their opposition to the automatic renewal of the mission's mandate and their demand for a reassessment of the necessity of the continued presence of that force.

This comes ahead of a scheduled discussion at the Security Council at the end of August regarding the extension of UNIFIL's mandate, where the source clarified that Israel and the United States have proposed two alternatives for the mission.

One alternative includes a complete termination of UNIFIL's mandate and a gradual withdrawal from the region, while the other alternative involves extending UNIFIL's mandate for only one year, with specific tasks including the organized dismantling of its positions and a coordinated withdrawal with the Lebanese army.

The proposal also includes transferring full security responsibility to the Lebanese government, and Tel Aviv and Washington's proposal comes at a time when Washington is pressuring the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah.

This proposal follows a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and the occupying state after a wide-ranging war waged by Tel Aviv last year against Lebanon, which included bombing and a ground invasion of areas in the south.

It is worth noting that UNIFIL forces are international emergency forces deployed in southern Lebanon since their establishment in the 1970s under UN resolutions.

The UNIFIL force was created after the occupation of most of southern Lebanon by the occupying state in March 1978, where the Security Council adopted resolutions 425 and 426.

UNIFIL's priority is to ensure regional stability and protect the population, and it has the authority and capability to respond forcefully to hostile actions.

The number of UNIFIL soldiers is about 10,000 troops as of early September 2024, belonging to around 50 countries, and the Security Council renews its mandate annually at the request of the Lebanese government.