Aoun: This Is Our Plan If UNIFIL’s Mandate Is Not Extended
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed a parliamentary initiative and petition calling for the extension of the mandate of international peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon, saying that “the presence of UNIFIL in the south is important for several reasons.”
Aoun said UNIFIL’s presence helps encourage residents to remain in their villages and towns and contributes to stability in coordination with the Lebanese Army.
“The first option is to extend UNIFIL’s mandate,” Aoun said. “If an extension is not possible, the second option is to adopt a formula that ensures the continued presence of international forces in the south within the required legal framework, alongside and in coordination with the Lebanese Army, in support of stability and the implementation of their assigned duties.”
Aoun said Israel has opposed UNIFIL’s presence and has been pressing for its withdrawal for nearly a year, while Lebanon has been calling for the mission to remain.
He said the main objective is to find a way to ensure a continued international presence in southern Lebanon, either through an extension of UNIFIL’s mandate or through a similar international force that could replace it, helping preserve stability and strengthen the role of the Lebanese state and army.
