A visiting senior United Nations official on Wednesday (October 14, 2026) reaffirmed the body’s commitment to stability in Lebanon as the mandate of its peacekeeping force in the country is set to expire this year.
After meeting Mr. Aoun, Mr.
“I thanked them for their critical support to UNIFIL and reiterated the UN’s strong commitment to supporting peace and stability in Lebanon,” Mr. Lacroix said. President Joseph Aoun told Mr. Lacroix that Lebanon “is keen on UNIFIL staying, considering the importance of the role that it has played from the start of its mission until today”, according to a statement from his office. Lacroix said “we know about Lebanon’s positions including the letter which it sent to the United Nations requesting a temporary extension of the UNIFIL mandate”. “The positions of the Lebanese authorities must be heard and taken into consideration,” he said.
Visiting EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told AFP last week that the bloc was in favour of extending UNIFIL’s mandate, also warning against a “security vacuum”. France and Italy have said they want to set up a multinational coalition to succeed UNIFIL.
