Why France is pushing to keep UNIFIL in Lebanon beyond 2026

PARIS — Paris is supporting Beirut’s efforts to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is set to expire on Dec. 31, but is well aware that the chances of securing an extension are slim, European diplomatic officials told Al-Monitor. French support for the Lebanese request is more of a political declaration than a concrete plan of action, they said.

Jordan's King Abdullah and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun are expected to arrive in Paris on Sept. 17 at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron as part of preparations for an international conference in support of the Lebanese military. The issue of an international force in Lebanon will also be discussed at the trilateral meeting at the Elysee Palace, a French diplomatic source told Al-Monitor.

As a show of support for Beirut, Macron received Aoun in Paris on March 25, 2025, 2½ months after Aoun's election as president of Lebanon. It was Aoun’s first official visit outside the region. As it ramped up its military support, France sent 39 armored vehicles to Lebanon in April. Over the past year, it has also sent military experts to help train Lebanese soldiers, although Paris has so far declined to disclose the extent and exact nature of this assistance.

Slim chances of UNIFIL mandate extension

UNIFIL was first established by the United Nations Security Council in 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and help restore peace and security in the country. After the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the Security Council mandated UNIFIL to assist the parties to the conflict in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought an end to hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. Over the years, Israel has accused UNIFIL of limiting itself to observation without taking action against Hezbollah.

The November 2024 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon established a five-party mechanism comprising Israel, Lebanon, the United States, France and UNIFIL. The mechanism was tasked with handling complaints of violations of the agreement by either Israel or Lebanon. Still, Israel, with US backing, continued to push against renewing UNIFIL’s mandate, arguing that its presence in southern Lebanon had failed over the years to prevent Hezbollah’s proliferation in the area.

France pushed back against Israeli-US pressure to end UNIFIL’s mission but was forced to agree in August 2025 to a compromise under which the force’s mandate would be extended for the last time, through the end of 2026, with no possibility of further renewal. Following the council’s adoption of Resolution 2790, UNIFIL began reducing its presence in southern Lebanon. From 10,000 troops in November 2024, including more than 700 French soldiers, UNIFIL now has around 7,000 troops, including 600 French soldiers. Italy has the largest contingent, with 750 soldiers.

A Sept. 13 Financial Times report revealed that Lebanon has been circulating a letter at the United Nations arguing that it would be premature for UNIFIL to leave the country definitively at the end of the year. The letter called for extending the current arrangement “for a limited period of time.” France has been supporting the Lebanese request, the report said, noting that several other Security Council members, including nonpermanent members, have backed the initiative.

According to the European officials, the Security Council will reject outright any proposal for a long-term extension of UNIFIL’s mandate. It might accept a short-term extension, but even that is unlikely, they stressed, as the United States is expected to veto such an initiative. Any renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate would require the agreement of all five permanent members of the Security Council, they said.

Seeking other formulas

Recognizing that UNIFIL was nearing the end of its mandate, France and the European Union concluded that the Lebanese government still needed an international military presence to help it undertake the task of disarming Hezbollah and regaining control over its southern territory, the European officials explained. Discussions have been ongoing in Brussels and European capitals to come up with a new proposal for an international force that could assist the Lebanese government’s military and territorial efforts in the post-UNIFIL era.

The diplomatic crisis between Israel and France, which followed France’s recognition of a Palestinian state in September 2025, complicated matters. Israel made clear that it would not accept any French involvement in the direct talks it began conducting with Lebanon in April 2026 under US auspices and refused to consider any initiative related to Lebanon put forward by Paris. Speaking to Al-Monitor, a senior Israeli diplomatic source said that the bilateral crisis with France was the reason Italy became involved, proposing a joint initiative with Paris.

At a June 25 meeting in Antibes, France, Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni unveiled a plan to establish a European-led multinational coalition in Lebanon, in coordination with other European Union member states and the United Nations. For Paris and Rome, the European-led coalition should fill the gap and prevent a security vacuum once UNIFIL fully withdraws, the two leaders said. However, they did not detail the institutional, legal and operational structure of the proposed coalition, which remains under discussion.

The French diplomatic source told Al-Monitor that the issue of an international force in Lebanon would be one of the main topics French representatives plan to raise in meetings in New York during the upcoming UN General Assembly. Still, he said it was not yet clear whether France would call a special Security Council meeting to discuss the issue. He also declined to say whether Paris expected to meet with any Israeli representatives in New York to discuss the matter.

Reinforcing the Lebanese military

As part of its leading international efforts to help the Lebanese military build the capabilities needed to disarm Hezbollah and regain control over its territory, France intended to convene a donors’ conference in support of the Lebanese army in March. The conference was delayed because of the Israeli-US war against Iran, and a new date has yet to be announced. Still, the French diplomatic source told Al-Monitor that Paris is planning to hold it soon.

A meeting of military experts co-chaired by Abdullah, Aoun and Macron will be held in Paris on Sept. 17 to prepare for the larger conference. France, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States and several other countries will send representatives, mostly at the chief-of-staff level.

French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux told Al-Monitor on Thursday that the meeting will focus on three issues: assessing the current security situation in Lebanon; hearing from the Lebanese military and internal security agencies about their needs in terms of funding, resources, equipment and training; and coordinating among Lebanon’s international partners on the best ways to strengthen the capabilities of the Lebanese security forces.

“We are now working with our Italian partners — who currently have the largest contingent within UNIFIL — on the modalities of a force that could replace it, but it will all depend on the capabilities of the Lebanese military and what it will be able to do. It is out of the question that we will do the job for them,” a source at the Elysee Palace told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “The United States and Israel categorically reject repeating a mandate similar to that of UNIFIL, so we must come up with something new."

Because the modalities of the new force will depend on what the Lebanese military is able to do, France, Lebanon and Jordan are focusing first on strengthening the Lebanese military, he noted. The Sept. 17 meeting is aimed at drawing up a clear, concrete, realistic and feasible plan for the redeployment of the Lebanese army, he stressed.