Lebanese President Welcomes French-Italian Efforts to Form a Coalition to Replace UNIFIL

UNIFIL troops from various countries. (Wikimedia Commons/Irish Defence Forces)

JAKARTA - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday welcomed the efforts of France and Italy to form a multinational coalition to replace the UN peacekeeping force in his country, whose mandate expires at the end of this year.

The peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) consists of about 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries, and has been in service since 1978.

Last August, the UN Security Council, under pressure from the United States, decided to end the UNIFIL mandate on December 31, 2026.

In a statement, President Aoun called the initiative a "sincere expression of international commitment to support Lebanon's sovereignty and stability," Al Arabiya reported from AFP (26/6).

Earlier, after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the two countries "want to launch a coalition for a post-UNIFIL arrangement, in coordination with the European Union and the United Nations, to strengthen Lebanon's sovereignty and its armed forces" and prevent its territory from becoming "a foothold for regional escalation."

France is one of the largest contributors to UNIFIL.

President Aoun also stressed Lebanon's desire for "any international formula that strengthens the capabilities of its armed forces, preserves its territorial integrity, and prevents its territory from becoming an arena of escalation or regional tension."

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said peacekeepers would be needed in Lebanon after the current mission mandate ends, a proposal likely to face opposition from the United States and Israel.

Earlier this month, Guterres proposed three options ranging from nearly 2,000 to more than 5,500 UN personnel to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, as well as support the Lebanese armed forces.