According to Middle Eastern media reports, the future of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) faces uncertainty as its mandate nears its end. US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Walz, is expected to arrive in Lebanon next week. On Tuesday, Walz critici

2026-11-13

According to Middle Eastern media reports, the future of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) faces uncertainty as its mandate nears its end. US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Walz, is expected to arrive in Lebanon next week. On Tuesday, Walz criticized UNIFIL at a summit hosted by the Israeli newspaper Israel Today in New York, calling it a "protective umbrella for terrorists." Walz stated explicitly at the event that his mission in Lebanon was to "remove this so-called protective umbrella of UNIFIL and change this peacekeeping force that has been deployed there for 20 years." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a press conference on Tuesday that the US is considering replacing UNIFIL with a "civilian mission." Rubio said, "It doesn't necessarily have to be a military mission; it could be a civilian mission." UNIFIL's mandate expires on December 31, 2026, unless the UN decides to extend it.