UNIFIL exit leaves Lebanon asking: Who will keep watch on Israel?

After nearly half a century in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL is preparing to withdraw as its final mandate approaches expiration.

Israel has rejected the deployment of another foreign force, arguing that border security should instead be handled directly with the Lebanese military. Lebanon, meanwhile, is making a last-ditch effort to secure another UNIFIL extension and is considering a French-Italian alternative if that fails.

RT’s Steve Sweeney examines UNIFIL’s controversial legacy, the competing proposals for what comes next, and the central question hanging over southern Lebanon: who will independently monitor Israeli actions once the international peacekeeping force is gone?