China urges reversal of UNIFIL departure from Lebanon as conflict escalates
China has called for a re-evaluation of the UN Security Council's decision to end the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in Lebanon by December 2026, citing ongoing conflict and a lack of genuine ceasefire. The UNIFIL mission has suffered casualties amid escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah, with over 2,600 people killed in Lebanon since March. China's UN ambassador emphasized that now is not the time to withdraw peacekeepers and awaits a UN report before finalizing its position.
- ▪The UNIFIL mission in Lebanon was created after Israel's 1978 invasion and expanded following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
- ▪The UN Security Council unanimously decided in August 2025 to withdraw UNIFIL's 10,800 peacekeepers by December 2026.
- ▪Since March 2, Israeli attacks have killed at least 2,618 people in Lebanon and displaced over one million.
- ▪At least six UNIFIL peacekeepers from countries including Indonesia and France have been killed since March.
- ▪China's UN ambassador stated that a genuine ceasefire does not exist and that the withdrawal decision should be revisited.
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News|United NationsChina urges reversal of UNIFIL departure from Lebanon as conflict escalatesThe UNIFIL has faced a growing number of casualties as Israel continues air raids despite a ceasefire and Hezbollah has responded with rockets and drones.ListenListen (3 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoA UNIFIL convoy in Tyre, south Lebanon, on April 15, 2026 [Louisa Gouliamaki/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff and ReutersPublished On 2 May 20262 May 2026China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Fu Cong, has said there is a need to re-examine the UN Security Council’s decision to terminate the mandate of the longstanding peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, which is due to end later this year.Created to oversee…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera.
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