European and Arab military chiefs will meet in Paris on Thursday to assess the Lebanese Armed Forces’ needs and discuss the looming end of a United Nations peacekeeping mission, amid fears of a renewed Israeli military campaign in southern Lebanon, Al Arabiya reports.
Israel and Lebanon have held several rounds of US-brokered talks aimed at easing tensions along their border. But with elections in Israel and the United States approaching in the coming weeks, diplomats say a breakthrough is unlikely.
Thursday’s talks, which will initially be chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron alongside Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Jordan’s King Abdullah, are not formally part of Washington’s efforts.
The US will be represented by a senior military official involved in Middle East security issues.
As part of the US-brokered talks, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a framework deal that envisions Israeli troops gradually withdrawing as Lebanese authorities disarm Hezbollah and deploy across the country’s south.
Officials in Paris will seek to assess the precise military and financial requirements ahead of a donor conference likely to be held in late 2026 or early 2027, diplomats said.
The most immediate concern is how to fill the security vacuum that could be left when the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL, which has about 7,500 personnel, begins drawing down from January.
Despite Lebanon and France both favoring an extension of the UN mandate, neither the United States nor Israel has signaled support for prolonging the mission.
The officials in Paris will discuss options for a new international mission, backed by France and Italy, operating outside a U.N. mandate, as well as a possible European Union-led mission.
Both concepts would focus on training, equipment, intelligence sharing and mentoring support for the Lebanese Armed Forces.
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