UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday called for a continued United Nations 'uniformed presence' in Lebanon following the scheduled departure of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose drawdown is set to begin on 31 December 2025 under Security Council Resolution 2790. Addressing an open debate of the UN Security Council on the Middle East situation, Guterres warned that the region is being pulled deeper into crisis with consequences that 'reach far beyond the region.'

Guterres's Warning on Escalation

The UN chief expressed deep alarm over the trajectory of the conflict, stating: 'I am profoundly concerned it could trigger a full resumption of conflict.' He cautioned that escalation in the Middle East reverberates across borders and continents, with 'a brutal price being paid by the region's people' — a toll he said is extending to the wider world, particularly the most vulnerable countries and communities.

Guterres pointed specifically to the escalation in Lebanon since March, as Israel intensified operations in Lebanese territory and Hezbollah fired deeper into Israeli territory. 'We have seen the killing of civilians. Entire communities uprooted, and extensive demolition of homes and civilian infrastructure, in southern Lebanon. The forced displacement of over a million civilians,' he said.

Seven UN Peacekeepers Killed

The secretary-general disclosed that seven UN peacekeepers have been killed since hostilities intensified, including one in the week preceding his address. The deaths underscore the mounting danger to international personnel operating in the conflict zone and add urgency to deliberations over what form any successor UN presence should take after UNIFIL's exit.

The Call for a Successor Presence

Guterres formally urged all parties to pursue a diplomatic settlement that fully respects Lebanon's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence within its internationally recognised borders, consistent with Security Council Resolution 1701. He then went further, telling the Council: 'I urge a continued United Nations uniformed presence following the departure of UNIFIL — as proposed last week in my letter to this Council.'

The proposal, submitted in writing to the Security Council the previous week, signals that the UN leadership is actively seeking a mandate framework to maintain a peacekeeping footprint in southern Lebanon even after UNIFIL formally ceases operations on 31 December 2025. Under Resolution 2790, UNIFIL will then have one year — until end-2026 — to complete its drawdown and withdrawal of all personnel from Lebanese territory.

What Comes Next

The open debate marks an early but significant moment in what is expected to be a complex negotiation among Security Council members over the shape, mandate, and troop contributions of any replacement force. Notably, any new uniformed UN presence would require a fresh Council resolution, making consensus among the P5 — particularly the United States, Russia, and China — a prerequisite. With the Lebanon ceasefire architecture already under strain and civilian displacement exceeding a million, the diplomatic window to agree on a successor arrangement before the December deadline is narrowing.