French President Emmanuel Macron to Host King Abdullah II and Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun in Paris for Security Talks

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to host Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Paris on Thursday. The diplomatic gathering precedes an international summit designed to mobilize backing for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

According to an Elysée source cited by Euronews, the talks form part of the Aqaba Process, an initiative originally launched by Jordan in 2015. The meeting will convene senior officials and military experts representing France, Britain, Jordan, Lebanon, and the United States to evaluate deployment plans for the LAF and broader regional stabilization efforts.

The discussions come as Beirut actively seeks international assistance to reinforce its military capabilities and prevent a security vacuum in the south of the country. This urgency follows the UN Security Council's decision to terminate the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on December 31, 2026, which will be followed by a one-year drawdown and withdrawal supported by the United States. UNIFIL currently maintains roughly 7,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries.

Thursday’s agenda centers on direct operational matters. France and its international partners intend to examine ways to provide the Lebanese Army with financial aid, necessary equipment, intelligence sharing, and potential operational guidance.

UNIFIL was originally established in 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and assist the Lebanese government in restoring control over the region. The initial three-month Israeli occupation was triggered by the March 1978 Coastal Road Massacre, a deadly hijacking carried out by Palestinian Fatah militants that resulted in the deaths of over 30 Israelis. In 2006, following the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the UNIFIL mandate was expanded to help prevent Hezbollah and other armed groups from maintaining a military presence in the south.

European nations have already begun planning for a post-UNIFIL framework. In June, France and Italy announced they would spearhead efforts to establish an international coalition in support of Lebanon during the autumn of 2026. Furthermore, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas stated on September 1 that over 10 European Union member states are willing to supply personnel and resources for a new civilian and military mission dedicated to assisting Lebanese forces, emphasizing that the EU does not intend to replace UNIFIL but rather to invest in Lebanon's capacity to secure itself.

Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP) ahead of his trip to France, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun emphasized the importance of establishing a new international force for Lebanon, regardless of its geographic origin. While noting that the optimal scenario would be an extension of the UNIFIL mandate, Aoun stated that any new force in southern Lebanon would serve as a temporary measure until the national army can fully deploy.

Aoun also noted that the ultimate objective is to secure a security agreement with Israel to end hostilities and enable military deployment along the border, though he cautioned that a direct peace agreement is not immediately attainable.

Lebanon was drawn into the broader regional conflict after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in early March in response to US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which prompted a sweeping Israeli military reaction. Despite a ceasefire agreed upon in June, Israeli airstrikes, military operations, and demolitions have persisted in southern Lebanon, leaving local villages abandoned and residents displaced. Concurrently, Hezbollah has continued attacks against communities in northern Israel, causing casualties and displacing border residents. Multiple rounds of US-mediated talks have yet to resolve the ongoing conflict.

Ahead of the Paris meetings, Aoun told AFP that Lebanon remains determined to disarm Hezbollah, characterizing the issue as neither negotiable nor open to discussion. However, the Lebanese Armed Forces have faced severe challenges in enforcing the government's objective of establishing a state monopoly on weapons, given Hezbollah's refusal to disarm.

Hezbollah maintains a substantial military arsenal used in past conflicts with Israel while also functioning as a major political party with members in the Lebanese parliament and cabinet. Karim Émile Bitar, an associate research fellow at the Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS), told Euronews that attempting to disarm Hezbollah represents an extremely difficult task for the cross-community military institution, noting that the army lacks logistical and financial resources while confronting a militia that has long outpowered the state.

Bitar added that Thursday's meeting highlights France’s historical role in Lebanese affairs, noting that Paris is traditionally viewed as a guarantor of Lebanon's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity—all of which face current challenges from territorial occupation, armed militia autonomy, and internal polarization.