UNIFIL Commander Warns Lebanese Army Handover Could Be Very Difficult

UNIFIL head and force commander Maj. Gen. Diodato Abagnara said other U.N. agencies and Lebanese troops must be ready to assume the mission’s duties before its withdrawal begins at the end of 2026. He said UNIFIL is already coordinating humanitarian work in Israeli-controlled areas with the U.N. country team and sharing information on sensitive locations with the Lebanese army. Abagnara warned that transferring some positions could be very difficult because more than half of UNIFIL’s posts are in areas controlled by Israeli troops. Without a new Security Council decision, he said, UNIFIL must stop operating at year’s end.