Washington supports an extension of the mission of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year, a State Department official said, as the US scrambles to avert an expanded war in the Middle East.

“We support a straightforward extension of [UNIFIL’s] mandate and are prepared to immediately begin work on a narrow resolution toward that end,” the official told Al Arabiya English.

UNIFIL has come under criticism from some US officials as well as Israel, who argue that the peacekeeping troops are not doing enough to counter the Iran-backed Hezbollah, arguably one of the most powerful non-state actors in the world, which has fighters, missiles, and drones along Lebanon’s southern border.

UNIFIL, formed initially to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops after they invaded Lebanon in 1978, is present in south Lebanon along the border with Israel. The mandate, later revised to help expand the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces to the south, is up for renewal at the end of each August.

But with Hezbollah and its allies in the Amal Movement having all but complete control over the southern part of Lebanon, they have blocked UN peacekeepers from carrying out their role on several occasions.

An Irish member of the peacekeeping force was killed, and three others were injured in an attack when their patrol went off-track and was immediately surrounded by armed men. Five men allegedly linked to Hezbollah were charged, but one was arrested and later released on bail. Hezbollah denied any role in the killing.

A major sticking point during mandate renewal talks usually focuses on attempts to authorize UNIFIL troops to freely move and conduct operations without seeking permission or coordinating with the Lebanese government. Beirut has rejected this, and supporters of Hezbollah routinely accuse UNIFIL of siding with Israel.

In a paper published earlier this month, Lebanon’s caretaker government said it was ready to launch a recruitment drive to increase the size of the LAF as part of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

According to the plan, Lebanon would need the international community to provide funding, training, and technical help.

A senior Arab diplomat said there would be little to no change in the language of the mandate when the vote takes place later this month.

The State Department official said that UNIFIL is playing an “invaluable role” as Washington pushes for a diplomatic solution to the monthslong fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.

Hezbollah entered the fray the day after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The Iran-backed group said it was fighting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and has since said it would not stop until a ceasefire deal was reached.

With the US pledging and providing billions of dollars in weapons to Israel as it continues its bombardment of Gaza, Hezbollah has only doubled down on its attacks. As a result, Israel has assassinated several senior figures in the group but also killed dozens of Lebanese and Syrian civilians.

The Biden administration has been trying to contain the Gaza war, but those efforts continue to be undermined by the weapons provided to Israel in addition to other Iran-backed militias and proxies entering the mix, including Yemen’s Houthis and groups in Iraq and Syria.

“The United States continues to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line that will allow Israel and Lebanese citizens on both sides of the border to safely return to their homes,” said the State Department official.

Along those lines, one of US President Joe Biden’s top aides, Amos Hochstein, went to Beirut this week. Sources familiar with his meetings said he reiterated the Biden administration’s keenness on brokering a ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring the cycle of war does not continue or expand in the region.