The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon is preparing to withdraw after 48 years, even as peacekeepers there report that the area remains volatile. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, is due to end its mandate at the close of 2026.

The UN Security Council decided unanimously in August 2025 against extending the mission’s mandate past the end of 2026, according to UN News. Preparations for the pullout are expected to start in January 2027. UN News did not say when the last peacekeepers will leave.

The Security Council created UNIFIL on March 19, 1978. Its first peacekeepers arrived on March 23, 1978. It was given three main tasks: to confirm that Israeli forces had withdrawn from Lebanon, to restore international peace and security, and to help the Lebanese Government re-establish its authority in the area.

UN peacekeepers based in southern Lebanon report that the situation remains volatile and extremely difficult for communities trying to rebuild, according to UN News. They also report a significant decrease in hostilities after an agreement in June between the United States, Lebanon and Israel.

Kandice Ardiel, the UNIFIL spokesperson, spoke to UN News from Naqoura in southern Lebanon. She said daily violations by Israeli forces continue to be observed across the area. She cited the building of military positions and roads, as well as military operations, demolitions, airstrikes and artillery fire. UN News did not include a response from Israel.

UNIFIL reported Tuesday that a routine patrol near Wadi Jilu came under fire. Peacekeepers returned fire, and the shooting stopped, UNIFIL said. No injuries were reported. The force has called on the Lebanese Government to investigate promptly. UN News did not say who fired on the patrol.

Latest UN data show the number of displaced people who have returned home has risen 13% since September, to nearly one million. About 304,500 people remain displaced outside their areas of origin.

Ardiel said children are going back to school and farmers are trying to harvest olives, but they are returning to a difficult situation. Many villages have suffered extensive damage, she said. “A lot of the essential infrastructure, including electricity networks, water systems, and roads, has been destroyed and will need to be rebuilt,” she said.

The departure will also affect local communities, according to UN News. Beyond its security role, UNIFIL provides jobs and contributes significantly to the local economy. Ardiel said the transition will be especially hard for the mission’s Lebanese national staff, many of whom have lost homes or family members in the conflict.

Ardiel said the Security Council is considering options for what comes next, but nothing has been decided. That has created uncertainty, she said. She also said that impartial monitoring and international engagement have played a crucial role in the region and will remain essential for Lebanon’s future stability.