Iran Press/ America: The France-drafted resolution to renew the UNIFIL peacekeeping force was adopted unanimously by the Security Council's 15 members, according to diplomats, AFP reported.
The council will reduce the troop limit from 15,000 to 13,000, the resolution said, recognizing that the mission has "successfully implemented its mandate since 2006 and has allowed for maintaining peace and security."
"In practice, the decision does not change much because UNIFIL's current strength is around 10,500 peacekeepers," a diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity. During negotiations, Washington had asked for a limit of 11,000 peacekeepers.
In the midst of an economic and political crisis, the Lebanese authorities demanded that the UN mission be extended without any change.
The resolution calls on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres coordinate with Lebanon and troop-contributing countries within 60 days on a plan for implementing recommendations he made to improve UNIFIL's performance.
In June, Guterres said that the peacekeeping force needed to be 'more agile and mobile', and called for an improved surveillance capacity of the force, including thermal imaging cameras, hi-tech binoculars, and drones.
Set up in 1978, UNIFIL was beefed up after the 2006 war.
The force, in coordination with the Lebanese army, is tasked guaranteeing a ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from a demilitarized zone on the border.
Following a massive explosion in the port of Beirut that killed at least 158 people and injured nearly 6000 others, multiple Lebanese MPs and ministers have resigned.
Various countries have sent messages expressing their sympathy and readiness to help the Lebanese people and government.
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