Trump Faces Decision on UNIFIL as U.N. Mission Fails to Disarm Hezbollah

JERUSALEM—As the Trump administration nears a critical decision on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the mission’s failure to curb Hezbollah’s military buildup is under intense scrutiny. Set to expire in late August, UNIFIL’s mandate faces a potential U.S. veto at the Security Council, with experts urging its termination due to decades of ineffectiveness.

Established after the 2006 Lebanon War, UNIFIL was tasked with enforcing Resolution 1701, meant to prevent Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group, from rearming in southern Lebanon. Yet, as former U.S. Ambassador David Friedman sharply noted, UNIFIL has been a bystander while Hezbollah grew into the world’s largest non-state terrorist army. “Stability in Lebanon is only possible now because Israel has dismantled Hezbollah’s leadership, not because of UNIFIL’s efforts,” Friedman told WTFNewsRoom.

Israel’s recent operations in southern Lebanon exposed Hezbollah’s military outposts, brimming with explosives and mines, just 300 yards from the border—a glaring failure of UNIFIL’s oversight. Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon has accused the force of allowing Hezbollah to establish bases unchecked. Meanwhile, UNIFIL’s spokesman, Andrea Teneti, defends the mission, claiming it supports the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and local communities. But critics like Sarit Zehavi, a northern Israel resident and Alma Research Center expert, demand proof of UNIFIL’s claimed seizures of Hezbollah weapons. “Where are the pictures? The IDF showed evidence of Hezbollah’s arms. UNIFIL just makes statements,” Zehavi said.

Adding to the controversy, reports surfaced in January of a LAF officer leaking classified U.S. and U.N. documents to Hezbollah, raising questions about the Lebanese army’s ties to the terrorist group. With a fragile U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire holding since November, Israel continues strikes to enforce Hezbollah’s disarmament—work UNIFIL was meant to do. As the Security Council vote looms, the Trump administration’s stance remains unclear, but the pressure is on to rethink a mission that’s failed its core purpose for nearly two decades.