China has formally called for a reassessment of the United Nations Security Council’s resolution to terminate the peacekeeping mandate in Lebanon, citing a dangerous escalation in regional hostilities.
Speaking at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday, Ambassador Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the UN, expressed profound concern regarding the deteriorating security situation as Beijing assumed the council’s rotating presidency for May.
The longstanding mission, known as the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), is currently scheduled to conclude its operations later this year.
Ambassador Fu observed that the current state of the conflict does not represent a genuine ceasefire, describing the environment instead as a “lesser fire”.
He argued that the “overwhelming majority” of the Security Council shares the view that now is not the appropriate time to withdraw international forces from the region.
“We do believe that we should revisit the decision, actually, to withdraw the UNIFIL,” Fu stated.
He noted that China is currently awaiting a comprehensive report from the UN secretariat, expected in June, before the nation confirms its final position. Furthermore, the Ambassador emphasised that it is “incumbent on Israel to stop this bombardment of Lebanon”.
The Security Council had previously resolved unanimously to begin the withdrawal of UNIFIL’s 10,800 international peacekeepers by December 2026.
However, the landscape has shifted significantly since 2 March, with Lebanese authorities reporting that Israeli attacks have killed 2,618 people and forced more than one million to flee their homes.
The UNIFIL mission itself has faced a rising number of casualties amidst the violence. According to UN officials, at least six peacekeepers have been killed and numerous others injured since the intensification of hostilities in March.
These fatalities include soldiers from various contributing nations, such as Indonesia and France, who were caught in shelling incidents and roadside attacks.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned these incidents, noting that the UN’s “blue helmets” have come under direct fire while performing essential duties.
These tasks include the clearance of explosive ordnance and the escorting of critical logistics convoys.
Originally established in 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops, UNIFIL’s mandate was significantly expanded following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Since then, the mission has been responsible for maintaining a demilitarised buffer zone between the opposing sides. As the conflict continues to escalate despite nominal ceasefire efforts, the future of this international buffer remains a central point of debate within the Security Council.
