France Leads Security Talks with Washington and Europe on Southern Lebanon Arrangements

International discussions currently underway alongside negotiations are not limited to ceasefire or Israeli withdrawal issues but also focus on shaping the future security framework for southern Lebanon following the conclusion of the current UNIFIL mission at the end of the year, a source revealed.

The source told Al-Joumhouria that Paris is conducting extensive consultations with Washington, several European countries—including Spain, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom—and the United Nations regarding new security arrangements. These arrangements place the Lebanese Army at their core amid growing consensus in Western capitals that the upcoming phase requires a gradual transfer of security responsibilities from international forces to the Lebanese military institution.

The source further noted that advanced ideas are circulating within some Western circles about establishing a new multinational force outside the traditional UNIFIL framework. This concept remains under study and has not yet been finalized. However, ongoing discussions consider the possibility of deploying American, French, and potentially other European units within a force stationed between the border and the Litani River, endowed with operational authorities differing from the current ones, specifically direct and non-supervisory procedural powers.