Lebanonupdated 1h ago3 min read
Joseph Aoun Asks French FM Jean-Noel Barrot To Prevent Security Vacuum In Southern Lebanon
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Aoun asks Barrot to help prevent security vacuum in southern Lebanon ahead of UNIFIL withdrawal. Lebanese delegation to attend US-backed Tampa talks Oct 20 to press for end of escalation.
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Aoun meets Barrot
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Baabda and asked France for help preventing a security vacuum in southern Lebanon if UN peacekeepers withdraw as planned at the end of the year. Aoun told Barrot that Lebanon would welcome any arrangement that ensures an international presence in the south, prevents a vacuum, and avoids placing the Lebanese Army in direct contact with the Israeli army. Barrot was in Beirut for a two-day visit to discuss “mechanisms for an international presence” in the south after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires.
Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s desire to extend UNIFIL’s mandate, while he said Israel “has not complied with the provisions of the framework agreement,” as Israel still occupies a band of territory in southern Lebanon after rocket attacks by Hezbollah in March. The Lebanese presidency said a Lebanese military delegation would take part in a meeting with Israeli and U.S. representatives in Tampa, Florida on Tuesday, with the aim of putting Lebanon’s demands for an end to Israeli escalation on the table.
Tampa talks set
Lebanon planned to press for an end to Israeli military operations at a new round of US-mediated talks on Tuesday, as Beirut also sought international security arrangements to prevent a vacuum in the country’s south if UN peacekeepers withdraw. The Lebanese presidency said the trilateral meeting in Tampa, Florida would be held on October 20, and it said Beirut would present its demands for an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Aoun met Barrot to discuss the future of the international security presence in the south, where Israeli forces and Hezbollah have repeatedly clashed, and Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s desire to extend UNIFIL’s mandate.
Aoun said, “If this proves impossible, Lebanon welcomes any arrangement that ensures an international presence in the south, prevents a vacuum, and avoids placing the Lebanese army in direct contact with the Israeli army,” as the talks reflected Lebanese concerns about renewed confrontation and additional pressure on the Lebanese Armed Forces. The framework agreement signed in Washington on June 26 required disarming Hezbollah and dismantling its military infrastructure alongside deployments by the Lebanese Armed Forces, but implementation stalled as Hezbollah refused to disarm while Israeli forces remained on Lebanese territory and Israel continued striking southern Lebanon.
UNIFIL exit stakes
The future of UNIFIL added urgency to Lebanon’s diplomatic efforts, because the force has monitored the border area for decades and played a role in maintaining communications and supporting stability during repeated rounds of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Aoun’s warning against a security vacuum highlighted concern that the Lebanese army could be left facing Israeli forces directly if peacekeepers withdraw without a replacement mechanism, and Lebanon sought continued international involvement in the south. The Lebanese presidency said Aoun strongly condemned ongoing Israeli actions along the southern border, warning that continued hostilities violate prior agreements and obstruct state force deployment.
Aoun said the continuation of the occupation and tension in the south prevents the Lebanese Army from deploying to the international southern border, in implementation of Resolution 1701, and he urged international partners to prevent a security vacuum ahead of planned 2027 drawdown. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot delivered assurances from Paris that France’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability, and security is steadfast, and Barrot said “The necessity of establishing a new international structure to support Lebanon's sovereignty” to avoid volatility in the south.