The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on 28 August to renew the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon for a final 16-month period, taking the nearly five-decade-old peacekeeping mission through 31 December 2026. Under the French-drafted resolution, UNIFIL’s roughly 10,800 troops and civilian staff are to start an “orderly and safe” withdrawal once the mandate expires, with the pull-out to be completed within a year. The measure directs the Lebanese Armed Forces to assume sole responsibility for security in the country’s south along the UN-demarcated Blue Line with Israel. The United States and Israel had lobbied for an end to the operation, arguing it no longer curbs Hezbollah’s presence. Acting US ambassador Dorothy Shea said Lebanon’s security environment had “radically changed,” while Israeli envoy Danny Danon hailed the timetable as historic. Washington indicated it will not support any further extensions. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun welcomed the additional time to strengthen national forces and avoid a security vacuum. Established in 1978 and expanded after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, UNIFIL is one of the UN’s longest-running and most costly peacekeeping deployments; the resolution urges donors to bolster financial and equipment aid to the Lebanese army during the transition.