Beirut: Human Rights Watch has called on the United Nations to maintain its international peacekeeping force in Lebanon, whose mandate is set to expire this year. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been stationed in southern Lebanon since 1978, following Israel's withdrawal from the region. The force comprises approximately 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries.

According to Deutsche Welle, despite the presence of UNIFIL, Lebanon has repeatedly experienced conflicts between Israel and the Hezbollah group, which is backed by Iran. The region has also seen multiple Israeli ground invasions. The UN Security Council decided in August last year to terminate UNIFIL's mandate on December 31, 2026, a decision influenced by increasing pressure from the United States.

Louis Charbonneau, Human Rights Watch's UN director, emphasized the potential consequences of withdrawing UNIFIL without a robust international force to replace it. In a statement issued last week, Charbonneau remarked, "Pulling the plug on UNIFIL without a robust international force in place would effectively abandon millions of Lebanese civilians to an uncertain and potentially disastrous fate." He further stressed the importance of peacekeepers as a deterrent against attacks on civilians and human rights violations.

HRW contends that the decision to end UNIFIL's mandate should be reconsidered in light of this year's conflict and the subsequent Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon. The situation escalated on March 2 when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to US and Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering an extensive Israeli bombing campaign and ground invasion. The conflict has resulted in over 4,300 casualties in Lebanon.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had also urged for the extension of UNIFIL's presence beyond their current mandate, reflecting the country's concerns over potential instability in the absence of the peacekeeping force.