Beirut, October 6 (Petra) – Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri
on Tuesday received a memo signed by 86 lawmakers calling for the
continued presence of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and a
review of UN Security Council Resolution 2790, warning that the
force’s withdrawal could create a security “vacuum.”

Berri met with a delegation of MPs led by MP Melhem Khalaf, who said
after the meeting that the memo, signed by 86 lawmakers, reflects a
“qualified majority” in support of UNIFIL and calls for
reconsideration of Resolution 2790.

Khalaf called for maintaining UNIFIL’s presence in southern Lebanon
as a “protective UN umbrella,” noting that implementation of
Resolution 2790 involves interconnected obligations, including
verifying an Israeli withdrawal, transferring UNIFIL positions to the
Lebanese Army and restoring state authority throughout Lebanese
territory.

He said UNIFIL currently operates 33 positions along the Blue Line,
questioning how these positions could be handed over to the Lebanese
state while areas remain under occupation.

He described implementation of the resolution under the current
circumstances as impossible.

Khalaf warned that a UNIFIL withdrawal could expose southern Lebanon
to serious risks, foremost among them a power vacuum.

He said the departure of the international force could effectively
entrench the occupation without strengthening the authority of the
Lebanese state.

He argued that withdrawing UNIFIL would weaken, rather than
reinforce, the Lebanese state’s presence and could undermine
stability.

He highlighted the force’s role in preventing and addressing friction
between the Lebanese and Israeli armies, citing incidents in Zoutar
and Deir Mimas and questioned which third party could perform that
role if UNIFIL were to withdraw.

Khalaf reaffirmed the lawmakers’ commitment to UNIFIL, citing UN
Security Council Resolutions 425, 1701 and 2790 and called for the
international force to remain in place or for any alternative
military force to operate under a UN mandate.

//Petra// AK