The United Nations Security Council will vote on Thursday to extend a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon until the end of 2026, ahead of full withdrawal.

The vote will be held today, after repeated postponements, amid US-Israeli reservations about the continued presence of the force. The draft resolution has been subjected to several amendments in a bid to avoid a US veto.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), established in 1978, patrols Lebanon’s southern border with the Zionist entity. The mandate for the operation is renewed annually, and its current authorization expires on August 31.

Two council diplomats said late Wednesday that the US, which had been demanding that the UNIFIL be terminated in a year, did not object to a French compromise draft resolution with that end date in 16 months.

That signaled the resolution would be approved, but it was not clear whether the US would vote in favor or abstain, ABC News quoted the diplomats as saying on condition of anonymity because negotiations have been private.

In this context, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun received a phone call from French counterpart Emanuel Macron that discussed UNSC extension of UNIFIL mandate. The discussions also tackled the two conferences that would be convened for the sake reconstruction in Lebanon and supporting the Lebanese army.

France, which oversees the issue at the Security Council, had initially considered a one-year extension and referred to an “intention” to work toward a withdrawal of UNIFIL.

But faced with a possible US veto, and following several proposals and a Monday postponement of the vote, the latest draft resolution unequivocally schedules the end of the mission in 16 months, ABC News reported.

Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar)