Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday warned that any changes to the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) could negatively impact stability in the country’s south, as the UN Security Council begins discussions on extending the mission.

UNIFIL has been deployed in southern Lebanon since 1978, with more than 10,000 troops from around 50 countries, tasked with monitoring the ceasefire and separating Lebanese and Israeli forces.

“Any time limit for UNIFIL’s mission that does not reflect the actual need for its presence will have negative consequences on the situation in the south, which still suffers from Israeli occupation of parts of its territory,” Aoun said during talks with UNIFIL Commander General Diodato Abaniara, according to a presidential statement.

The president added that Lebanon has already launched contacts with UN Security Council members to secure a one-year renewal of the force’s mandate, stressing its importance for “maintaining security and stability in the south, alongside the deployment of 10,000 Lebanese troops in the area.”

Reports suggest that the United States and Israel oppose a full renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate in its current form, amid mounting international pressure on Lebanon to uphold its commitments under the ceasefire and address Hezbollah’s weapons.