The city across our border that turned UN soldiers into its tourists

An investigative report on the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, which has turned UNIFIL soldiers into a central economic engine. The Rest House Tyr Hotel & Resort serves as an example of the link between international presence and the local economy. Now, with the end of UNIFIL's mandate at the end of 2026, the question arises of who will replace the thousands of customers.

An investigative report on the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, one of the most important cities in the ancient Phoenician world, which has turned UNIFIL soldiers into a central economic engine. For decades, soldiers from 46 countries have come to Tyre, about 7,460 peacekeeping soldiers as of August 2026, but not as tourists—as part of the UN peacekeeping force stationed in southern Lebanon since 1978. Around the international presence, an entire economic system has developed: hotels, restaurants, transportation services, food suppliers, rental apartments, and contractors. The Rest House Tyr Hotel & Resort, opened in 1995 on an attractive beach strip, has become a microcosm of Tyre itself—it survived conflicts, the Second Lebanon War in 2006, economic crises, and was even set on fire during the 2019 protest wave due to its identification with Randa Berri, wife of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Now, the UN Security Council has decided that the current UNIFIL mandate will be the last, according to Resolution 2790, and the force is expected to cease its operations on December 31, 2026. The report raises the economic question: who will replace the thousands of customers that UNIFIL provided to local businesses in an area that has repeatedly suffered wars and instability.