Beirut:Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced that Lebanon is united in its support for the continuation of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and its mission in the southern region, aligning with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

According to Anadolu Agency, Berri emphasized Lebanon's commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty, protecting its borders, and liberating its land from Israeli occupation. He highlighted the importance of UNIFIL's role, which includes monitoring the international border along the Blue Line, identifying disputed areas, and documenting Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty.

Resolution 1701, adopted in August 2006, laid the groundwork for ending hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Berri noted that UNIFIL's responsibilities extend beyond security and military concerns to encompass humanitarian, social, cultural, and economic activities. He reiterated Lebanon's consensus on maintaining the international forces' presence and mission, with parliamentary efforts to engage the international community and the UN.

Berri and Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, discussed the situation in Lebanon, particularly in UNIFIL's operational area in the south, amid ongoing Israeli actions and violations of Resolution 1701. They also discussed Lebanon's unified stance on extending the international force's mandate to benefit Lebanon and the region.

UNIFIL was initially established in 1978 following Israel's invasion of southern Lebanon. Its mandate expanded significantly after the July 2006 war under Resolution 1701. The UN Security Council decided in August 2025 that UNIFIL's mandate would end on December 31, 2026, leading to a gradual withdrawal over the following year.