UN Pushes Lebanon Force Despite Israeli Objections

The UN is pressing to keep a military presence in southern Lebanon after UNIFIL's mandate expires at year-end, with a successor force of roughly 5,000 troops and 500 observers. Guterres's earlier options ranged from about 1,980 to 5,525 uniformed personnel with Blue Line monitoring, patrols and support for the Lebanese Armed Forces. Israel opposes another UN force after UNIFIL failed to stop Hezbollah's buildup south of the Litani. Any international mechanism must enforce disarmament and keep the Iranian-backed terror army away from northern communities.