The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Lebanon: After 48 years patrolling the Blue Line, UN peacekeepers prepare exit
The situation in southern Lebanon remains volatile and extremely difficult for communities trying to rebuild their lives, UN peacekeepers based there report, despite a significant decrease in hostilities following an agreement in June between the United States, Lebanon and Israel.
Speaking to UN News from Naqoura in southern Lebanon, Kandice Ardiel, spokesperson for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said that daily violations by Israeli forces continue to be observed across southern Lebanon.
These include the construction of military positions and roads, military operations, demolitions, airstrikes and artillery fire.
In addition, on Tuesday, UNIFIL reported that a routine patrol near Wadi Jilu was also fired upon. Peacekeepers returned fire and reported that the shooting stopped, with no injuries reported. The force has called for a prompt investigation from the Lebanese Government.
Latest UN data indicates that the number of internally displaced who’ve returned home has increased by 13 per cent since September, to nearly one million. Around 304,500 people remain displaced outside their areas of origin.
Painful return
“We’re seeing kids going back to school. We’re seeing farmers trying to harvest their crops, particularly olive crops. But they’re coming back to a really difficult situation,” Ms. Ardiel stressed.
She noted that many villages have suffered extensive damage, making daily life extremely challenging for returning residents.
“A lot of the essential infrastructure, including electricity networks, water systems, and roads, has been destroyed and will need to be rebuilt,” she explained.
A 48-year mandate ends
UNIFIL was established by the UN Security Council on 19 March 1978 with three primary objectives: to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, to restore international peace and security, and to assist the Lebanese Government in re-establishing its authority in the region.
The mission’s first peacekeepers arrived on 23 March 1978.
In August 2025, the UN Security Council unanimously voted not to renew UNIFIL’s mandate beyond the end of 2026. As a result, preparations for the mission’s withdrawal are expected to begin in January 2027.
"There’s a lot of talk and speculation about what might come next. We know the Security Council is considering options, but so far nothing has been decided. So that’s led to a lot of uncertainty. And people are, of course, concerned," Ms. Ardiel said.
She highlighted the immense destruction across southern Lebanon. Once a thriving village of homes, shops, restaurants, and businesses, Naqoura, home to UNIFIL’s headquarters, has been almost entirely reduced to rubble. UNIFIL peacekeepers have witnessed how many residents have lost their homes and livelihoods.
Ripple effects
The withdrawal of UNIFIL will affect not only the mission’s personnel but also the communities of southern Lebanon, where the peacekeeping force has been an integral part of local life for decades. Beyond its security role, UNIFIL provides employment opportunities and contributes significantly to the local economy.
For staff members, the transition is expected to be particularly difficult.
“This is especially true for our national staff, who are Lebanese, many of whom have lost homes or family members because of the ongoing conflict," Ms. Ardiel said.
Life after UNIFIL
Ms. Ardiel describes growing concern about what lies ahead.
“There’s a great deal of nervousness now that we’re leaving in a situation where southern Lebanon remains unstable because of ongoing military activity, the continuation of the conflict, and the uncertain future that people here are anticipating,” she said.
She also emphasized the importance of maintaining an international presence in southern Lebanon. Impartial monitoring and international engagement have played a crucial role in the region over the years and will remain essential for Lebanon’s future stability, the UNIFIL spokesperson insisted.
STORY: After 48 years patrolling the Blue Line, UN peacekeepers prepare exit
TRT: 3:11’’
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: For B-roll please credit UNIFIL
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 12 NOVEMBER 2026 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Exterior wide shot: Palais des Nations, Flag Alley.
2. Medium shot of UNIFIL convoy in Naqoura and Shama in south Lebanon. 11 November 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
3. SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), from Beirut - Lebanon: “We’ve of course, seen a great reduction in the level of violence since the framework agreement in June. But nonetheless, we’re seeing daily violations in south Lebanon, and that’s mainly by the Israel Defense Forces, who are present throughout the south of Lebanon and building positions, building roads, undertaking military activities, conducting demolitions, airstrikes, artillery. So, the situation remains extremely volatile.”
4. Medium shot of UNIFIL convoy in Naqoura and Shama in south Lebanon. 11 November 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
5. SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from Naqoura - Lebanon: “Peacekeepers of course saw after the framework agreement in June a great number of people returning to their villages. In recent weeks, we haven’t seen too much of a change. The people who are here are trying to rebuild, trying to resume their lives. We’re seeing kids going back to school. We’re seeing farmers trying to harvest their crops, particularly olive crops. But they’re coming back to a really difficult situation.”
6. Medium shot of peacekeeper with Lebanese residents during medical consultations in Tyre, south Lebanon, 12 October 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
7. SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from Naqoura - Lebanon: “Many villages where people are able to return are heavily damaged. And there are, of course, many where people are not able to return at all. The situation in south Lebanon is extremely difficult for people to live. Considering that a lot of the infrastructure, necessary infrastructure like electricity, water and even roads have been destroyed and need to be rebuilt.”
8. Close, UNIFIL patrol coverage in south Lebanon. 28 August, 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
9. SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from Naqoura - Lebanon: “Our mandate will be ending on 31 December, and peacekeepers will be starting the process of withdrawal in January. There’s a lot of talk and speculation about what might come next. We know the Security Council is considering options, but so far nothing has been decided. So that’s led to a lot of uncertainty and people are, of course, concerned.”
10. Wide shot of buildings destroyed in Naqoura in south Lebanon. 11 November 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
11. SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from Naqoura - Lebanon: “People who work for UNIFIL, many of us have worked here for a number of years. So it’s a difficult transition, of course, to know that the mission is closing. But nonetheless, this is what the Security Council has decided. People have accepted that. But again, having worked with colleagues with friends for so many years, it is a difficult transition. And this is especially true given the situation of our national staff, who are Lebanese, many of whom have lost homes, have lost family members because of the ongoing conflict.”
12. Medium shot of a UNIFIL vehicle, zooming into an explosion in the distance. Naqoura, south Lebanon. 12 November 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
13. SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from Naqoura - Lebanon: “There’s a great deal of nervousness now that we’re leaving in a situation in which south Lebanon is unstable due to ongoing military activity, due to the conflict that continues and due to the uncertain future that people are anticipating here in the south.”
14. Wide shot of UNIFIL convoy moving in Naqoura and Shama in south Lebanon. 11 November 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
15. SOUNDBITE (English) – Kandice Ardiel spokesperson UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from Naqoura - Lebanon: “International presence has been important here in south Lebanon over the years and international presence and impartial monitoring presence is something that we believe will continue to be important.”
16. Wide shot of buildings destroyed in Naqoura, south of Lebanon. 11 November 2026. Please credit UNIFIL.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights on Tuesday called on Egypt to end the persecution, harassment and intimidation of independent journalists and media outlets, and to respect press freedom.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNICEF
Drones and drought are "closing in" on Sudan, the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, said on Tuesday, describing unprecedented attacks on the country's infrastructure including by drones travelling up to 1,500 kilometres before hitting their target.
"It is an assault unlike anything Sudan has seen before. In the last week of October, not a single day passed without a drone strike on a power station in Sudan. Up to 15 were hit in the month of October,” said agency spokesperson James Elder.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNHCR
Aid teams working to help millions of people uprooted by the ongoing war in Sudan appealed on Friday for more international assistance amid desperate funding shortages, empty warehouses and overwhelming needs.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Ukraine has sustained almost 2,000 attacks on education since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, with some 270 this year alone, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR
More than 280,000 people have now been displaced by fighting in Yemen and many vulnerable people are unable to access lifesaving relief because it is too dangerous to do so, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UN
Tour guides at UN Geneva turned heads at the Palace of Nations on Thursday as they unveiled stylish new uniforms, designed in partnership with leading Italian sustainable fashion designers and manufacturers.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , WFP
Aid agencies warned on Friday of the fast-developing humanitarian emergency inside Taiz City in Yemen, which has been encircled by de facto Houthi forces fighting government troops along the country’s west coast.
2
17
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences , Images | OCHA , WMO
Two UN agencies teamed up on Wednesday to issue an appeal for immediate assistance to help communities already being impacted by the strongest El Niño on record.
3
16
2
2
Edited News , B-roll , Conferences , Images | UNITED NATIONS , UNOG
Sixth Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts for Sudan
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , UNHCR
Yemen war continues to force families from homes amid hunger and disease
More than 250,000 people have now fled renewed fighting in Yemen, the UN said on Tuesday, citing particular concern for those sheltering in the southwestern city of Taiz and the wider governorate, where access is “essentially blocked”.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
A little over one year since a ceasefire agreement was announced between Hamas fighters and Israel, more than 340 children have been reported killed and hundreds more injured, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , IFRC
Six weeks after Nepal’s deadly flooding disaster, communities are still struggling to rebuild their lives, but they will need sustained help as global warming increases the risk of another Himalayan catastrophe, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.