President Joseph Aoun assured United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix that Lebanon welcomes any country willing to maintain its forces in southern Lebanon following the withdrawal of UNIFIL at the end of 2027. The remarks came after the two officials agreed on the framework through which such a force would assist the Lebanese Army, whose ranks are expected to grow in the coming weeks.

During their meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda, Aoun and Lacroix discussed the post-UNIFIL phase, the measures Lebanon seeks to implement, and ongoing cooperation between the Lebanese government and the peacekeeping mission. The President emphasized that Lebanon “welcomes all support that the United Nations can provide, particularly from countries interested in maintaining a peacekeeping presence south of the country,” while noting that “the final decision rests with the UN Security Council.”

On the issue of the recent escalation by Israel, Aoun highlighted that Lebanon has fully met its obligations under UN Resolution 1701 since February, while Israel “has not complied.”