UNIFIL: Handing over some of our sites to the Lebanese Army may be 'extremely difficult'

Since the outbreak of a new war between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah in March, the force has also provided security monitoring for humanitarian aid convoys destined for the residents of a small group of towns in southern Lebanon that have been besieged by Israeli forces. Residents in most other parts of southern Lebanon have been forced to evacuate due to Israeli airstrikes and evacuation orders.

The UN Security Council has ordered UNIFIL to begin withdrawing by the end of 2026, raising concerns about the possibility of continued aid delivery and how to transfer the force's sites to the Lebanese Army.

Abanira said: "There are other UN entities here in the south, so it is extremely important for us to implement a very smooth transition to other entities or pave the way for a new mission in the future"

He added that UNIFIL is already working with the UN team on Lebanon to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid in areas controlled by Israel, and to exchange information with the Lebanese Army about "sensitive areas and how it can manage this situation"

Abanira acknowledged that it may be "extremely difficult" to hand over some UNIFIL sites to the Lebanese Army as more than half of them are located in areas currently controlled by Israeli forces.

Diplomats fear that the departure of the UNIFIL force will result in the UN losing its 'eyes and ears' in southern Lebanon.

Abanira described the demolitions as "another violation" of UN Security Council resolutions on Lebanon. The Israeli army says it is destroying Hezbollah infrastructure in parts of southern Lebanon.

As a US-backed plan for the Lebanese Army to disarm Hezbollah and take control of southern Lebanon falters, diplomatic efforts are accelerating to address the vacuum left by UNIFIL's withdrawal.

Lebanon wants to extend the mandate of the force while other countries are discussing the formation of a new multinational mission, but it remains unclear what kind of mandate it will have.

Abanira said extending the mandate of the force would be a "great honor" but added that if a new resolution is not passed by the Security Council, the force will have to end its operations at the end of the year.

He added, "This is not a long time... The presence of the United Nations in the south is extremely important, and for me today it is more important than ever"