The United Nations Security Council has voted to pull its peacekeeper force from Lebanon after a 47-year deployment in the Middle Eastern country to secure its southern border shared with Israel.

The council extended the country’s peacekeeping mission for the final time on Thursday. The peacekeepers will gradually withdraw from Lebanon until a final departure date of Dec. 31, 2026.

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The Security Council created the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in March 1978 to ensure Israel’s withdrawal from its northern neighbor. Israel has long criticized the peacekeeping force in Lebanon, saying it has failed to eradicate Hezbollah’s military presence near the border.

The U.S. delegation voiced its support for UNIFIL’s withdrawal on Thursday. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea reminded the council that “the first ‘I’ in UNIFIL stands for ‘Interim'” and said it is time for its presence to end.

“We support the Government of Lebanon’s efforts to assume security responsibilities throughout the country,” Shea said. “We urge the international community to use the coming year to bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces as we work toward this shared objective. We must use this time to set Lebanon up for success. We also recognize Israel’s legitimate security needs and interests, including the need to defend itself from Hizballah.”

LEBANON SEES FIRST BREAKTHROUGH IN MILITANT DISARMAMENT AFTER PALESTINIAN GROUPS HAND OVER WEAPONS

The U.N. Security Council called on both nations to fully respect the “Blue Line,” a U.N.-established demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel. It also urged Israel to withdraw its troops north of the line and for the cessation of all air strikes on Lebanese territory, the council said in a press release Thursday.

UNIFIL had over 10,000 peacekeeping personnel, including over 9,700 troops, deployed in Lebanon as of May. Indonesia, India, and Italy have contributed the most police and troops to UNIFIL. The United States has zero police or troops committed to the mission.