Aoun and King Abdullah to meet in Paris as France leads Unifil replacement drive

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Jordan's King Abdullah II are set to meet in Paris on Thursday, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, to advance discussions on replacing the UN interim force Unifil in southern Lebanon. This gathering aims to provide the most effective support for a detailed, credible, and practical plan for deploying the Lebanese Army across the region.

The meeting features military officials from the US, Lebanon, Jordan, the UK, and France. Unifil's anticipated withdrawal, pressured by the US and Israel, has raised security concerns in Lebanon and Europe, as Israel now controls around 700 square kilometers of Lebanese territory and demands the Lebanese Armed Forces disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah militia.

Italy and France are leading the initiative to replace Unifil, with potential contributions from over ten EU nations. Talks with Israeli and US representatives are expected at the UN General Assembly in New York next week. French President Macron's special envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, emphasized the importance of strengthening the army, noting that Hezbollah's weapons cannot be disarmed if the Lebanese Armed Forces lack the means to command respect.

Unifil, comprising thousands of peacekeepers from various countries, has observed Israeli and Hezbollah ceasefire breaches during its five-decade deployment, but both sides have criticized it, and it has suffered personnel losses this year. Iran-backed Hezbollah emerged in the early 1980s during Lebanon's civil war as a response to Israeli occupation, later becoming a political party with weapons allowed at the end of the conflict in 1990.

The 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel concluded with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which called for Hezbollah's withdrawal south of the Litani River, though Lebanon accused Israel of breaching its territory and airspace. Macron's adviser highlighted the need for US involvement in the replacement plan, which may involve a new UN-led mission and a multinational approach.

The Paris meeting follows the Aqaba format, an initiative initiated by King Abdullah in 2015 to boost regional military and security cooperation.