BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- The extension of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon for one final time -- before its mission ends after five decades of seeking to maintain peace in the embattled southern region -- marks a turning point in Lebanon's struggle to reassert state control and avert another devastating war with Israel, according to a French diplomat and a Lebanese military expert.
On Thursday, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to terminate the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, which was established in March 1978 after Israel's first invasion of southern Lebanon.
The United States, which had pushed for the multinational peacekeepers to end their mission within six months in line with the demands of its close ally Israel, agreed to a 16-month extension -- until the end of December 2026. After that, UNIFIL will begin a "safe and orderly" withdrawal, to be completed within one year.
The U.S. shift in position was the result of extensive diplomatic efforts led by France, which was the driving force behind creating the peacekeeping force more than 47 years ago.
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