Paris Talks Focus on Lebanon Army Needs as UNIFIL Exit Looms

European and Arab military chiefs are set to meet in Paris on Thursday to assess the Lebanese Armed Forces’ military and financial needs as concerns grow over the planned withdrawal of U.N. peacekeepers and the risk of renewed Israeli operations in southern Lebanon.

The meeting will initially be chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron alongside Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Jordan’s King Abdullah. A senior U.S. military official focused on Middle East security will also attend, although the talks are separate from Washington’s diplomatic efforts between Israel and Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon have held several rounds of U.S.-brokered negotiations aimed at reducing border tensions. Under a framework agreement, Israeli forces would gradually withdraw while Lebanese authorities disarm Hezbollah and expand the Lebanese army’s presence across the south.

Officials gathering in Paris will examine the equipment, funding and other resources Lebanon’s military would require. Diplomats said their assessment could pave the way for a donor conference in late 2026 or early 2027.

A key issue is the future of security in southern Lebanon as the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, prepares to begin drawing down in January. The peacekeeping mission currently has about 7,500 personnel.

Lebanon and France favour extending UNIFIL’s mandate, but the United States and Israel have not indicated support for keeping the mission in place longer.

Participants are expected to consider alternatives, including a French- and Italian-backed multinational mission operating outside a U.N. mandate or a possible European Union-led operation. Such missions could provide training, military equipment, intelligence sharing and mentoring for Lebanese forces.

The discussions come amid renewed security concerns following escalating Israeli strikes despite a June ceasefire intended to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli strikes on a southern Lebanese town on Monday killed at least 13 people, including six children.

The escalation has intensified fears in Lebanon that another major Israeli military campaign could begin as diplomats struggle to establish a longer-term security arrangement for the border region.