UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to terminate the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon at the end of 2026 after nearly five decades, bowing to demands from the United States and its close ally Israel.

UNIFIL was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion. Its mission was expanded following the monthlong 2006 war between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.

The resolution would terminate UNIFIL’s mandate and halt its operations at the end of 2026. The process of withdrawing its 10,800 military and civilian personnel and equipment would start immediately in consultation with the Lebanese government, to be completed within a year.

The draft says the aim is to make the Lebanese g

See Full Page