DUBAI: Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have discussed post-UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon after some European countries have expressed support for an international force to replace the UN peacekeepers.
Deployed in 1978 and significantly reinforced after the 2006 war under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has served as a stabilizing presence along the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon. Its current mandate is expected to wind down by the end of 2026.
“President Macron indicated that he would conduct outreach to a number of countries to determine their stance on this step, especially since the deadline for UNIFIL’s withdrawal from Lebanon begins at the start of next year, 2027, necessitating the establishment of the necessary framework for any international participation,” the Lebanese Presidency said on social media, when the two leaders discussed during a phone call.
The post-UNIFIL French plan includes military options and an alternative delegation mechanism and calls for the creation of a force of between 2,000 and 5,500 personnel, in coordination with European partners.
European states — particularly Italy, France, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Finland, Austria and Greece — are the backbone of UNIFIL, contributing thousands of peacekeepers.
The two presidents also addressed Lebanese-Syrian relations and the ongoing coordination between the two countries.
Aoun also commended Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s position, where he affirmed his country’s commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
In an interview with Al-Mashhad TV, Al-Sharaa stressed that ending the current situation in Lebanon requires innovative approaches rather than traditional solutions.
“Syria has no intention of intervening militarily in Lebanon, that any Syrian role would pass exclusively through the Lebanese state and not through other parties,” the Lebanese Presidency said.
