Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday welcomed French and Italian efforts to form a multinational coalition to replace the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, whose mandate expires at the end of the year.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), stationed in the country’s south since 1978, includes around 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 nations. Despite its long presence, it has not prevented recurring flare-ups of violence.
Last August, the UN Security Council, pressured by the United States, voted to terminate UNIFIL’s mandate as of December 31, 2026.
In a statement, Aoun described the new initiative as “a genuine reflection of the international community’s commitment to supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability.”
Following talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France and Italy “intend to launch a coalition for the post-UNIFIL phase, in coordination with the European Union and the United Nations, to reinforce Lebanon’s sovereignty and that of its armed forces” and to keep Lebanese territory from becoming “a platform for regional escalation.”
France is among the largest contributors to UNIFIL.
Aoun also underscored Lebanon’s readiness to support “any international framework that bolsters the capabilities of its armed forces, safeguards its territorial integrity, and prevents its land from turning into a venue for escalation or regional tensions.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has affirmed that peacekeepers will still be needed in Lebanon after the current mission ends, a position likely to face resistance from the United States and Israel.
