France and several European countries are quietly exploring the creation of a new international force to replace the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, according to European diplomatic sources cited by the Lebanese daily Al Liwaa.

The sources said discussions are being conducted with “extreme discretion” as European governments assess the political, legal, and operational requirements for deploying a new mission after the current UNIFIL mandate expires at the end of the year.

According to the report, countries including France, Spain, Italy, and Austria have already expressed willingness in principle to participate in the proposed force, which is currently envisioned primarily as a monitoring mission.

However, diplomats are still debating the exact nature and responsibilities of the force, with several key questions remaining unresolved.

Among the main issues under discussion is whether the mission would function solely as an observation force, a separation force between the parties, or take on broader security responsibilities. Officials are also examining what exactly the force would monitor, and whether its mandate would be limited to the Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel or expanded to include additional security activities.

Another major point of discussion concerns deployment zones. Diplomats are reportedly studying whether the force would be stationed directly along the Blue Line or behind it, and whether deployment would occur on the Lebanese side, the Israeli side, or both.

The legal mechanism for establishing the mission also remains unclear.

According to the diplomatic sources, Lebanon would formally request the creation of the force, but discussions are ongoing over whether the deployment would take place under the umbrella of the United Nations, through the European Union, or via direct bilateral arrangements among participating states.

The sources added that talks are also exploring whether Arab countries could join the mission.

Other operational details still being studied include the size of the force, the type of weapons it would carry, and the scope of its authority on the ground.

French officials are reportedly leading consultations with concerned countries in an effort to address the outstanding questions before the expiration of the current mandate later this year.

Diplomatic sources said the eventual size and structure of the proposed force would ultimately depend on the tasks assigned to it, the nature of its armament, the areas where it would deploy, and whether Israel and the United States would approve the arrangement and under what conditions.