In Lebanon, Italy proposes robust multinational force to replace UNIFIL: What to know

BEIRUT — Italy has proposed an alternative to replace the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon after UNIFIL's mandate expires at the end of this year as Lebanese authorities work to preserve an international security presence in the south amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

What happened: The local LBCI station reviewed published some details from the four-page proposal on Monday.

According to the report, following the expiration of UNIFIL’s mandate in December 2026, a smaller but more effective force would be created under a UN Security Council resolution and tasked with four operational priorities:

• Supporting the Lebanese military and providing protection for civilians, including through humanitarian assistance
• Supporting the ceasefire mechanism committee tasked with overseeing the November 2024 truce, including assisting with the implementation of any future disarmament process
• Facilitating coordination and de-escalation between the parties
• Monitoring and reporting

Under the proposal, the European Union would provide economic and institutional support and implement capacity-building programs for Lebanon's military and other security institutions.

The proposal involves other international agencies operating in Lebanon, including the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, to coordinate UN activities to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

In southern Lebanon, where Israeli attacks are ongoing, the proposed multinational force would play a liaison role to facilitate communication between the Lebanese and Israeli militaries, help de-escalate tensions and prevent clashes.

Why it matters: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has been seeking to renew the UN mission’s mandate as the Israeli military continues attacks and demolitions in southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire.

“Our first choice is to extend UNIFIL’s mandate,” Aoun said on Aug. 17, in response to a petition signed by 86 lawmakers calling for the continued presence of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.

“If that is not possible, our second choice is to adopt a formula that ensures the continued presence of international forces in the south, within the required legal framework and in a way that allows these forces to operate alongside and in coordination with the Lebanese military, supporting stability and carrying out their assigned tasks,” he added. The UNIFIL peacekeeping force was established in 1978 and its mandate was renewed annually until last year's decision to phase it out.

Aoun visited Rome last week and met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday for talks on the latest developments in Lebanon and the region as well as the post-UNIFIL period in Lebanon.

In June, Meloni said that France and Italy agreed to establish a multinational coalition to support Lebanon after the withdrawal of UNIFIL.

Speaking at a press conference in the French resort city of Antibes alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Meloni said they had also discussed a possible international conference to launch the initiative.

“We are equally attentive to the crisis in Lebanon, where Italy and France can absolutely make a difference,” she added. “It is necessary, from our point of view, to guarantee an international presence that avoids a very dangerous security vacuum.”

In late July, during a meeting with Aoun in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayib Erdogan said his country was ready to take part in any future initiative, including an international force, to maintain security in southern Lebanon after UNIFIL’s mandate expires.

Background: In August 2025, the UN Security Council extended the mission’s mandate until the end of December 2026, to be followed by a year-long drawdown and withdrawal.

The UN peacekeeping force has been patrolling the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border since its establishment in 1978, following the withdrawal of the Israeli military, which briefly invaded Lebanon that year.

Italy's proposed force appears different from UNIFIL. The troop numbers would be smaller and its main role would be to support Lebanon's military as it restores security in the area by assisting disarmament efforts rather than assuming UNIFIL's security responsibilities.

In addition to monitoring the cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, the current UN peacekeeping mission is tasked with accompanying and supporting the Lebanese military in southern Lebanon as well as assisting the Lebanese government in preventing illegal weapons from entering the country. 

UNIFIL's mission has been amended several times over the years. In 2006, the UN bolstered its mandate under Resolution 1701.

Today, some 7,462 peacekeepers patrol the border area, including the Blue Line, the demarcation between Israel and Lebanon. Italy is UNFIL’s largest European contributor and second-largest overall after Indonesia, with 738 Italian soldiers currently deployed in south Lebanon.

UNIFL’s mission in Lebanon has been rocky. Hezbollah has repeatedly accused UNIFIL of spying for Israel, leading to regular clashes and tensions between it and residents of southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold.

Israel, meanwhile, has long argued that UNIFIL has failed to prevent Hezbollah from building military infrastructure in southern Lebanon and expanding its presence in the area.

In October 2024, Meloni condemned an Israeli attack on the headquarters and two bases housing the Italian UNIFIL contingent in south Lebanon.

At least seven peacekeepers have been killed in attacks in south Lebanon since hostilities resumed between Israel and Hezbollah in March.

Know more: Last Thursday, UNIFIL handed over one of its positions to the Lebanese military in preparation for its drawdown.

The transfer of a UNIFIL observation post near the Khardali Bridge over the Litani River is part of a broader plan to facilitate the Lebanese military deployment in the area.

The move also comes amid efforts to implement the framework agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel under US auspices in June that calls for a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese military and the removal of weapons and military infrastructure belonging to non-state armed groups including Hezbollah.

The agreement was announced during ongoing direct talks between the two countries, mediated by the United States. Rome has hosted two rounds of talks between the two parties in July and August and is expected to host a third round next month.