What options as UN force’s Lebanon exit looms?

Lebanon is seeking an international force to replace a decades-long United Nations peacekeeping mission whose mandate ends this year following US and Israeli pressure, even as the latest Israel-Hezbollah war continues.Concerns over the possible exit of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with no alternative come with Israeli troops occupying south Lebanon’s border areas, and as Israel and Lebanon hold direct negotiations seeking to end decades of hostilities.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The force has been a buffer between Lebanon and Israel since 1978, but its presence has not been enough to prevent repeated outbreaks of conflict. With the UN secretary-general set to submit a report to the Security Council by June 1, AFP looks at some potential scenarios. What does Lebanon want? UNIFIL currently counts some 7,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries. They are deployed in south Lebanon near the Blue Line, the 120-kilometre

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