Lebanon
Expected Council Action
In May, Council members expect to receive a briefing in consultations on the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of resolution 1559. Adopted in 2004, it called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon, the disarmament of all militias, and the extension of government control over the whole Lebanese territory. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo is the anticipated briefer.
In May, Council members are likely to receive a letter from the Secretary-General detailing options for the future of the implementation of resolution 1701 after the withdrawal of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and might have informal discussions with the Secretariat on this issue. Resolution 2790, which in August 2025 extended UNIFIL’s mandate for a final time until 31 December, requested the Secretary-General to provide these options by 1 June, including regarding “assistance in respect of security and monitoring of the Blue Line” and ways to enhance the support to the Lebanese Armed Forces’ redeployment south of the Litani River through the UN’s “tools”. (The Blue Line is a withdrawal line set by the UN in 2000 to confirm Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon. While not an international border, the Blue Line acts in practice as a boundary between Lebanon and Israel in the absence of an agreed-upon border between the two states.)
Key Recent Developments
Since early March, the security situation in Lebanon has sharply deteriorated. Overnight between 1 and 2 March, shortly after the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hezbollah fired projectiles at Israel, stating that the action was taken in response to Khamenei’s assassination. This was followed by large-scale Israeli airstrikes in areas across southern Lebanon, the Bekaa valley, and Beirut, on what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said were Hezbollah targets.
Fighting rapidly intensified. Israel undertook sustained ground operations in some areas of southern Lebanon, carrying out demolitions and maintaining a presence in several areas near the Blue Line, where Israeli authorities stated the IDF would establish a “buffer zone”. Heavy fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah has been reported in several areas south of the Litani, including in the towns of Bint Jbeil and Khiam. Israel has carried out extensive airstrikes, including on 8 April, when a coordinated wave of strikes across Lebanon resulted in over 300 people being killed. Hezbollah has also continued to launch rockets and other projectiles, such as drones, towards Israel and at IDF troops in Lebanese territory.
A 23 April update by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), citing figures from the Lebanese government, reported that at least 2,489 people have been killed and 7,719 injured in Lebanon since 2 March, and more than one million people have been internally displaced. According to media reports citing figures provided by Israel, as at 26 April, two civilians were killed in Israel in connection to Hezbollah’s attacks, and 16 IDF soldiers died in Lebanon.
In response to Hezbollah’s 2 March strikes, the Lebanese government banned all military activities carried out by the group, urging it to confine itself to the political arena and demanding that it surrender its weapons to the state. Lebanese authorities have also called for and pursued direct diplomatic engagement with Israel to end the conflict—a position that Hezbollah has firmly rejected.
On 14 April, the US facilitated direct talks in Washington between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the US, framed as exploratory talks, on ending the fighting and addressing long‑standing security concerns. These talks took place against the backdrop of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran and a dispute over whether a ceasefire reached on 7 April extended to Lebanon. During the talks, Lebanon reportedly emphasised ending the hostilities and securing an Israeli withdrawal from its territory, while Israel insisted on Hezbollah’s disarmament.
On 16 April, the US announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. On the same day, the US issued a statement containing details of the understanding reached between Lebanon and Israel. It said that:
- Israel and Lebanon commit to engage in “good-faith direct negotiations” facilitated by the US, “with the objective of achieving a comprehensive agreement that ensures lasting security, stability, and peace between the two countries”.
- The two countries will implement a cessation of hostilities, but “Israel shall preserve its right to take all necessary measures in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks”. It added that, “[b]esides this”, Israel “will not carry out any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian, military, and other state targets, in the territory of Lebanon by land, air, and sea”.
- The Lebanese government “will take meaningful steps” to prevent Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups in Lebanon from “carrying out any attacks, operations, or hostile activities against Israeli targets”.
- The initial 10-day period could be extended “by mutual agreement between Lebanon and Israel if progress is demonstrated in the negotiations and as Lebanon effectively demonstrates its ability to assert its sovereignty”.
The understanding, which did not include Hezbollah, reduced the intensity of fighting but was quickly tested by incidents on the ground, underscoring its fragility. While the US announced a three-week extension on 23 April, UN and media reports indicate that military activity has continued, although at a lower intensity, including airstrikes, direct combat, and demolitions. A 27 April update by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned that social and inter‑communal tensions are rising in several areas in Lebanon.
In a 29 April update, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) indicated that Lebanon has experienced a sharp deterioration in the food security situation since early March, with around 1.24 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity. It says that the decline is primarily driven by renewed conflict and large-scale displacement, disruptions to livelihoods and income opportunities, as well as factors including market disruption in conflict-affected areas and rising food and fuel prices.
UNIFIL has repeatedly come under attack during the latest round of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with several UNIFIL peacekeepers killed or wounded since 2 March. The mission has also reported repeated restrictions on its freedom of movement.
In response to attacks against UNIFIL peacekeepers, Council members adopted two press statements, on 1 April and 20 April, condemning the killing of peacekeepers; reaffirming full support for UNIFIL; and calling on all parties to respect the safety, security, and freedom of movement of UN personnel and to fully implement resolution 1701.
Since early March, the Security Council has convened three meetings to address developments in connection with the resumed hostilities in Lebanon, two open sessions (11 and 31 March) and one closed consultations (14 April).
Human Rights-Related Developments
In a 2 April statement, three UN special rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council said that the targeted killing of three Lebanese journalists on 28 March constituted an attack on press freedom by Israeli forces and called for a prompt and independent investigation of the incidents. The experts underscored that journalists carrying out their professional duties in armed conflict are civilians and must not be targeted, warning that the deliberate killing of journalists not directly participating in hostilities amounts to a serious violation of international human rights and humanitarian law and a war crime. The statement says that at least 259 journalists and media workers have been killed by Israel since 2023, including in Gaza and Lebanon, adding that at least 64 of them appear to have been directly targeted.
Women, Peace and Security
In a 30 March update, UN Women assessed the gendered impacts of displacement outside collective shelters during the current escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. The update said that an estimated 87 percent of all displaced people are residing outside organised shelter settings and are living in hosted arrangements, rented accommodations, and informal settings. UN Women’s analysis found that displacement is exacerbating pre-existing gender inequalities. The update identified heightened protection risks linked to overcrowding, lack of privacy, and “dependence on others for shelter”, noting that such conditions increase the risk of exposure to harassment, exploitation, and gender-based violence. The update further underscored that barriers to accessing humanitarian assistance—including information gaps and safety concerns—disproportionately affect women, especially those with caregiving responsibilities or limited autonomy. Displacement has increased women’s responsibility for household management and caregiving, including for children, older persons, and persons with disabilities, particularly in hosted and shared living arrangements. Loss of livelihoods, rising costs, and increased dependence on host families or male relatives were also found to reinforce patterns of women’s economic exclusion.
Key Issues and Options
Supporting the full implementation of resolutions 1559 and 1701 remains a key issue for the Security Council. While the Council is largely uninvolved in facilitating diplomatic efforts between Lebanon and Israel, Council members are likely to continue monitoring developments in Lebanon and the wider region closely. Depending on developments, members may assess whether additional Council engagement is warranted. For instance, members may opt for additional closed briefings to assess military and diplomatic developments, particularly in light of evolving regional dynamics.
A pressing concern is to avoid a deterioration in the diplomatic and security situation, which could see Lebanon drawn into a dual crisis, facing both internal strife and a wider regional confrontation.
Another key task for the Security Council would be to decide on how to respond to the options presented by the Secretary-General for monitoring the implementation of resolution 1701 after the drawdown of UNIFIL.
Council Dynamics
There is broad consensus among Council members in support of Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and unity.
Many Council members have accused Hezbollah of dragging Lebanon into a confrontation that the Lebanese population did not seek and welcomed the Lebanese government’s decisions to move towards the disarmament of the group, noting that this is essential to restoring Lebanese sovereignty. On the other hand, Russia does not see Hezbollah as the primary problematic actor and has focused its criticism on Israel and on wider regional dynamics.
Members continue to express strong support for UNIFIL and have condemned attacks against peacekeepers. The US, the main driver behind the Council’s decision to terminate UNIFIL by 31 December, has joined Council press statements in response to attacks against UNIFIL. At the same time, at the 31 March emergency meeting on Lebanon, the US framed its support for peacekeepers in language that pointed towards drawdown, arguing that the high number of casualties among UNIFIL peacekeepers since the mission’s inception requires the Council to rethink the effectiveness of the mission.
In contrast, several Council members have interpreted the current escalation as evidence of the need for a sustained UN presence even after UNIFIL’s mandate ends in December 2026. For instance, Denmark has argued that the current situation underscores the need for continuity in UN presence beyond drawdown. China has highlighted the tensions as an indication of UNIFIL’s continued relevance. Bahrain has stressed that any withdrawal must be coordinated and responsible, with no security vacuum in southern Lebanon.
France is the penholder on Lebanon. At the same time, the US has assumed a more active role on Lebanon, including in facilitating talks between Israel and Lebanon and exerting pressure on Lebanese authorities for the implementation of commitments to disarm non-state actors, particularly Hezbollah.
It seems that, at the insistence of the US, references to the November 2024 cessation of hostilities arrangement, international humanitarian law, civilian casualties, and mass displacement were removed from an earlier draft of the 1 April press statement on UNIFIL. However, the US accepted a reference calling on parties to comply with the 16 April cessation of hostilities in the 20 April press statement. (For background on the November 2024 cessation of hostilities arrangement, see the brief on Lebanon in our November 2025 Monthly Forecast.)
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 28 August 2025S/RES/2790 | This resolution extended the mandate of UNIFIL for a final time until 31 December 2026 and established several functions that UNIFIL is authorised to fulfil during the drawdown and withdrawal period. It also requested the UN Secretary-General to explore, by 1 June 2026, “options for the future of the implementation of resolution 1701” following the withdrawal of UNIFIL. |
| 11 August 2006S/RES/1701 | This resolution called for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. It also expanded UNIFIL’s mandate. |
| 2 September 2004S/RES/1559 | This resolution urged withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, extension of the Lebanese government’s control over all Lebanese territory and free and fair presidential elections. |
| Security Council Meeting Records | |
| 31 March 2026S/PV.10127 | This was the meeting record of a Security Council meeting on Lebanon. |
| 11 March 2026S/PV.10118 | This was the meeting record of a Security Council meeting on Lebanon. |
