The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is largely funded by U.S. taxpayer dollars, has drawn criticism for spending funds on progressive, DEI initiatives including “gender diversity” training, “gender mainstreaming in military operations,” and therapeutic yoga instruction, the Washington Free Beacon reports. These expenditures are under scrutiny as the Trump administration seeks to convince U.N. Security Council members to oppose a French-led resolution to renew UNIFIL’s mandate, according to sources familiar with the issue.

UNIFIL is composed of thousands of troops from 46 nations and operates at a cost of $400 to $500 million annually, with the U.S. covering roughly 30% of the budget. Amid concerns over the force’s effectiveness and spending, the Trump administration has been closely reviewing its activities before deciding on further U.S. financial support.

Among these activities is a July 2025 training on gender mainstreaming demanded by the Lebanese Army, part of broader diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts by UNIFIL. The peacekeeping force employs a Military Gender Advisor and has established a Gender Task Force aimed at increasing women’s roles in peacekeeping. Its bases also provide gender-sensitive accommodations as part of a 2023 push for more diverse operations.

UNIFIL personnel have actively promoted these initiatives on social media, highlighting roles dedicated to maintaining gender diversity and emphasizing gender perspectives in military operations. However, critics point out UNIFIL’s failure to curb Hezbollah’s growing power in Lebanon since the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel. This conflict displaced about 60,000 civilians along Israel’s northern border.

France has led efforts to renew UNIFIL’s mandate and supports ideological projects within the agency, such as seminars on environmental impacts and gender advisor courses for peacekeepers. However, a Western diplomat lobbying against the renewal told the Washington Free Beacon that UNIFIL has failed in its core mission to disarm Hezbollah, labeling the renewal of its mandate as “throwing good money after bad.”

Further concerns include UNIFIL’s recent wellness program featuring yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda to enhance peacekeepers’ physical and emotional well-being. Such initiatives clash with the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce spending on what it views as progressive or ideological projects.

In addition, UNIFIL’s plan to incorporate Chinese troops along the Israel-Lebanon border has met resistance. China’s ambassador to Lebanon has pledged continued support for the mission, but this development has fueled opposition to extending UNIFIL’s mandate.

Senior congressional staffers describe the campaign to renew UNIFIL’s mandate as an attempt by the French government and certain State Department elements to reverse the Trump administration’s foreign policy agenda, including efforts to cut back on “wokeness” and DEI spending as well as counter Iranian-backed terrorism.

UNIFIL’s focus on gender initiatives and wellness programs, combined with perceived failures in security outcomes, has sparked significant debate over the use of U.S. funds and the future of the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.