Military Chiefs Meet in Paris to Strengthen Lebanese Armed Forces Ahead of UN Mission Expiration

According to reporting by France 24, European and Arab military chiefs are meeting in Paris on Thursday to address strategies for strengthening Lebanon's struggling armed forces. The high-level discussions come as the mandate for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the region is set to expire at the conclusion of the year, alongside growing concerns regarding a potential renewed military campaign by Israel in southern Lebanon.

The upcoming international discussions in the French capital are structured around preparing the groundwork for a dedicated donor conference, which is tentatively anticipated to occur in either late 2026 or early 2027. Additionally, the agenda centers heavily on evaluating the situation across southern Lebanon and establishing concrete plans for an international presence in the area following the official expiration of the UN peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, at the end of December.

A primary concern highlighted in the source material is addressing the potential security vacuum that could emerge when UNIFIL—a force comprising roughly 7,500 personnel—begins its drawdown process starting in January. Lebanon's cash-strapped military currently finds itself caught in a difficult position between the Israeli military, which is reported to be occupying large portions of southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed militant organization has reportedly refused ongoing demands to surrender its weapons.

While both Lebanon and France have expressed support for extending the existing UN mandate, neither the United States nor Israel has signaled backing for prolonging the mission. Consequently, officials meeting in Paris are exploring alternative options, including a new international mission backed by France and Italy that would operate outside of a traditional UN framework, as well as a potential European Union-led deployment.

Both proposed concepts would concentrate heavily on providing the Lebanese Armed Forces with training, essential equipment, intelligence sharing, and mentoring support. A French presidency official spoke to reporters regarding the ongoing deliberations, stating that the exact modalities of any international or multinational action remain to be defined. The official noted this uncertainty is partly because Lebanese requests have not fully aligned with specific US demands at the UN Security Council, and because organizers still need to carefully calibrate the terms of the presence and clarify the mandate.

Ahead of the main military talks, the heads of state of Lebanon, France, and Jordan were scheduled to meet in Paris to help drum up international backing for the Lebanese military. A planned donor conference for the army, which was originally spearheaded by France, Saudi Arabia, and the United States and scheduled for February, was previously postponed following the outbreak of the Iran war and the latest escalation in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Beyond developments concerning Lebanon, the broader regional live coverage detailed several other concurrent events across the Middle East. In Yemen, the Houthi movement reported fresh Saudi airstrikes on Wednesday after Riyadh accused the group of executing a cowardly attack directed at the holy city of Mecca, a claim the Houthis have disputed.

In the Gaza Strip, rescue teams continued searching through debris for dozens of individuals reported missing following the collapse of an apartment block. That structural collapse resulted in the deaths of eight people, including multiple children.

Additionally, diplomatic developments indicated that Israel and Morocco have reached an agreement to upgrade their diplomatic ties and establish official embassies in their respective nations, according to a statement released by the Israeli foreign ministry. The source material was compiled by France 24 with contributions from Reuters, AP, and AFP.