Italy to keep forces in southern Lebanon after completion of UNIFIL mandate

By Betul Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) – Italian forces will remain in southern Lebanon after the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) completes its mandate in the region, Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said on Monday.

“We will guarantee our presence in multilateral and bilateral contexts, including through participation in MCT4L (Military Technical Committee for Lebanon) and the MIBIL mission (Italian Bilateral Military Mission in Lebanon),” Crosetto said during a meeting in Beirut with his Lebanese counterpart, Michel Menassa, as cited by a statement from the Italian Defense Ministry.

“We believe that multinational support remains the most effective solution in crisis areas.”

A Lebanese presidency statement confirmed the Italian desire to keep its forces in southern Lebanon after the UNIFIL withdrawal during a meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Crosetto.

Aoun welcomed the participation of Italy and other European countries in any mission that would replace UNIFIL after the end of its mandate on Dec. 31, 2026.

“We rely on friendly countries such as Italy to push toward the success of the negotiating process and reach positive outcomes,” he said.

UNIFIL has operated in southern Lebanon since 1978 and was significantly reinforced under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 after the 2006 war between Israel and the Hezbollah group.

Italy is one of the leading contributors to the UN mission with its 1,099 troops out of 9,923 peacekeeping forces, which are currently tasked with monitoring the cessation of hostilities and supporting the Lebanese army south of the Litani River.

Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire in November 2024 after more than a year of cross-border attacks amid the war in Gaza. More than 4,000 people were killed, and 17,000 others were injured.

Under the truce, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January but have only partially pulled out, maintaining a military presence at five border outposts.