(Corrects to add dropped word "member" in paragraph 3)

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The United Nations Security Council on Thursday unanimously extended "for a final time" a long-running peacekeeping mission in Lebanon until the end of 2026, when the operation will then begin a year-long "orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal."

The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), established in 1978, patrols Lebanon's southern border with Israel.

The 15-member council unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution after a compromise was reached with the United States, a veto-wielding council member.

The Security Council decided "to extend for a final time the mandate of UNIFIL."

The........

© Al Monitor