After 48 Years Patrolling the Blue Line, UN Peacekeepers Prepare to Exit Lebanon
UN News reported on November 11 that Kandice Ardiel, spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), speaking from Naqoura in southern Lebanon, said daily violations by Israeli forces continue to be observed across southern Lebanon. These include the construction of military positions and roads, military operations, demolitions, airstrikes and artillery fire. The situation in the south remains volatile and extremely difficult for communities trying to rebuild their lives, despite a significant decrease in hostilities following an agreement in June between the United States, Lebanon and Israel.
On Tuesday, UNIFIL reported that a routine patrol near Wadi Jilu was fired upon. Peacekeepers returned fire and the shooting stopped, with no injuries reported, and the force has called for a prompt investigation by the Lebanese Government. Latest UN data indicates that the number of internally displaced people who have returned home has increased by 13 per cent since September, to nearly one million, while around 304,500 people remain displaced outside their areas of origin.
Ardiel said children are going back to school and farmers are trying to harvest their crops, particularly olive crops, but many villages have suffered extensive damage, making daily life extremely challenging for returning residents. Much of the essential infrastructure, including electricity networks, water systems and roads, has been destroyed and will need to be rebuilt, she said.
UNIFIL was established by the UN Security Council on 19 March 1978 with three primary objectives: to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, to restore international peace and security, and to assist the Lebanese Government in re-establishing its authority in the region. The mission's first peacekeepers arrived on 23 March 1978. In August 2025, the Security Council unanimously voted not to renew UNIFIL's mandate beyond the end of 2026, and preparations for the mission's withdrawal are expected to begin in January 2027. Ardiel said the Security Council is considering options for what comes next, but nothing has been decided so far, which has led to a lot of uncertainty and concern.
The withdrawal will affect not only the mission's personnel but also the communities of southern Lebanon, where the peacekeeping force has been an integral part of local life for decades, providing employment and contributing significantly to the local economy beyond its security role. Ardiel said the transition will be especially difficult for national staff, who are Lebanese, many of whom have lost homes or family members because of the ongoing conflict. She emphasized the importance of maintaining an international presence in southern Lebanon, saying impartial monitoring and international engagement have played a crucial role over the years and will remain essential for Lebanon's future stability.
(Source: United Nations)
Source: United Nations
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：联合国驻黎巴嫩临时部队维和人员在黎巴嫩南部蓝线一带巡逻。照片：意大利陆军，CC BY 2.5，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon on patrol along the Blue Line in southern Lebanon. Photo by the Italian Army, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
