Western diplomats said they expect an imminent call between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio aimed at clearing what one described as the “final hurdle” before the UN Security Council votes to renew the mandate of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year.
The move follows Washington’s decision on Friday to break the “silence procedure” on an amended draft resolution prepared by France.
Paris had circulated a revised text after a week of negotiations with US diplomats in New York to bridge differences over language addressing UNIFIL’s eventual withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
US officials have signaled readiness to back a full 12-month renewal. But if Rubio and Barrot fail to finalize the wording, Russia, which holds the Council presidency in August, could delay Monday morning’s planned session until later this week, before the current mandate expires on Aug. 31, a diplomat familiar with the talks said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Diplomats said Israeli pressure was shaping the dispute. One European envoy linked it to Europe’s broader policies in the region, including France’s recent recognition of a Palestinian state. Another said Washington’s insistence on a clear timetable for UNIFIL’s exit reflected Israeli demands to “end Europe’s role in the Middle East.”
European troops, notably from France, Italy, Spain and Norway, make up the backbone of UNIFIL, which was first deployed after Israel’s 1978 invasion of Lebanon and expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, diplomats added, is also benefiting from senior Trump administration officials’ reluctance to support UN peace operations worldwide.
France’s latest draft, seen by Asharq al-Awsat, includes concessions to Washington.
The preamble now welcomes Lebanese government efforts to assert sovereignty through its armed forces, rejects recognition of any authority other than the state, and notes “positive progress” by UNIFIL since November 27, 2024, in uncovering weapons caches and expanding patrols alongside the Lebanese army.
The operative clauses were also revised. The first extends UNIFIL’s mandate until Aug. 31, 2026, “with a plan for withdrawal” in line with paragraph five – the crux of the current negotiations.
That clause states the Council intends to work toward UNIFIL’s exit so the Lebanese state alone is responsible for security in the south, provided Beirut establishes full control nationwide through its armed forces and institutions, and both parties agree on a comprehensive political arrangement.
Two new clauses were added. One directs UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to conduct by March 1, 2026, a strategic review assessing conditions for UNIFIL’s withdrawal, with a view to starting a phased exit no later than Aug. 31, 2026, and to explore options for supporting Lebanese army redeployment south of the Litani River.
The second calls on Lebanon to fully comply with its 1995 status-of-forces agreement, particularly UNIFIL’s freedom of movement and immunities, and to ensure the mission’s security until its last personnel depart. It also tasks the mission with safeguarding its assets during withdrawal and instructs Guterres to keep the Council regularly informed.
US negotiators argue the wording could allow UNIFIL to remain beyond 2026, a prospect Netanyahu’s government and pro-Israel US officials strongly oppose.
