‘It’s family’: Lebanese villagers dread looming UN peacekeeper pull-out
IBL AL-SAQI, Lebanon – From his shop in south Lebanon near the Israeli border, Mark Diab says life in his village will be turned upside down when a decades-long United Nations peacekeeping force, pulls out in 2027.
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force → ’ → 2027
“UNIFIL isn’t just business, to us it’s family,” said Diab, 59, whose sister is among residents of Ibl al-Saqi who have married peacekeepers from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon over the years.
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who → ’ → years
She now lives in Spain.
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She → live → Spain
“We’re basically open because of the UN.
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We → ’re → UN
We started when I was young,” Diab said from his shop, just down the road from a UNIFIL base, selling clothes along with other items including alcohol and headphones.
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Diab → start → alcohol
The force’s withdrawal will hurt the local economy and “will impact our relationships... and we’ll lose security and stability,” he said, as the sound of an explosion rang out in the distance.
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sound → hurt → distance
“I’m very sad they’re leaving...
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they → ’m → ?
We’ve spent a lifetime with them.”
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We → spend → them
UNIFIL has served as a buffer since Israel first invaded Lebanon in 1978.
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Israel → serve → 1978
It has become part of the fabric of south Lebanese villages like Ibl al-Saqi after decades spent monitoring border hostilities and supporting local communities, including with humanitarian assistance.
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It → become → assistance
But after pressure from Washington, the UN Security Council in 2025 voted to end the force’s mandate on Dec 31, 2026.
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Council → vote → Dec
In a narrow garden in Ibl al-Saqi called Norway Square, tattered Norwegian and Lebanese flags flew near plaques paying tribute to peacekeepers from the Scandinavian country whose arrival decades ago forged ties that run deep.
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that → call → ties
A street sign points to a town in Norway about 5,200km away.
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sign → point → Norway
Nearby, an Indian flag flew at Mahatma Gandhi Park close to a statue, posters and plaques set up by Indian peacekeepers.
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flag → fly → peacekeepers
‘Positive mark’
Ibl al-Saqi is located just outside an Israeli-declared “security zone” which runs around 10km deep in Lebanese territory along the border.
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which → locate → border
It was established after the latest war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group erupted in 2026.
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war → establish → 2026
Israeli troops operate nearby, and locals advised AFP journalists to avoid southern parts of the otherwise quiet, peaceful village, nestled among hills covered in olive groves.
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locals → operate → groves
From his municipal office near framed UNIFIL pictures and paraphernalia, mayor George Rahhal said the peacekeepers had brought stability and reassurance to villagers over years of conflict and uncertainty.
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peacekeepers → frame → conflict
“They’ve left a positive mark on everybody’s hearts, firstly through security, then the economy, healthcare, supporting schools, the sick,” said Rahhal, who like others in the village also has Norwegian citizenship and speaks the language.
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who → leave → language
“At some point the UN has to leave... but not in these circumstances.”
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UN → leave → circumstances
Lebanon has called for UNIFIL’s mandate to be extended, fearing a security vacuum at a time when hostilities prevent the Lebanese army, whose resources are limited, from deploying across the country’s south.
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resources → call → south
Rahhal said many Ibl al-Saqi residents were UNIFIL employees or contractors.
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residents → say → ?
Almost “the entire community will be impacted” economically by the withdrawal, directly or indirectly, he said.
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he → impact → withdrawal
“We can live after the international force (leaves), but how and where and who will be responsible for us?
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force → live → us
UNIFIL now counts about 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries.
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UNIFIL → count → countries
Spokesperson Kandice Ardiel told AFP it also “has around 400 national staff” and works with numerous local companies providing contracted services.
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it → tell → services
‘Stayed in our village’
Peacekeepers are stationed in many Israeli-occupied areas now off-limits to most Lebanese after the most recent war.
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Peacekeepers → stay → war
Many border villages have seen heavy destruction.
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villages → see → destruction
More than 4,300 people have been killed in Lebanon since March, including seven peacekeepers caught in the crossfire.
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people → kill → crossfire
Israel still carries out strikes and demolitions despite a lull in hostilities since late June.
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Israel → carry → June
Andrea Tenenti, who served as UNIFIL spokesperson for almost 20 years, told AFP that the force’s presence “was not simply about maintaining peace and security”.
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presence → serve → peace
UNIFIL “has long been the second largest employer and economic contributor in southern Lebanon, after the Lebanese state”, he said.
“Its economic footprint, however, extended far beyond its direct workforce,” he added, with associated activities “supporting a much wider network of businesses and livelihoods”.
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activities → say → businesses
Its withdrawal “risks creating a significant vacuum... at a particularly critical time”.
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withdrawal → risk → time
At a workshop in Ibl al-Saqi, labourers supervised clattering embroidery machines sewing customised items including banners and tags for peacekeepers stationed nearby.
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labourers → supervise → peacekeepers
Shelves were packed with colourful souvenirs and keepsakes for UNIFIL personnel – the business’s main market after Lebanon’s economy collapsed in 2019.
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economy → pack → 2019
Co-owner Khaled Nahra, 48, said the workshop had been running for some 25 years and had around a dozen employees, but would be forced to close when UNIFIL leaves.
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UNIFIL → say → employees
“We’ve stayed in our village...
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We → stay → village
this was the best thing about working with the UN,” he said.
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he → work → UN
“There are people who’ve been working here for 15... 20 years.
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who → be → years
They’re like me.
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They → ’re → me
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
