Lebanon announces Paris conference to support army, security forces

Lebanon's presidency announced on Wednesday that an international conference to support the Lebanese army and internal security forces will be held in Paris on 5 March and will be opened by French President Emmanuel Macron.

In a statement, the presidency said the date and venue of the conference had been decided, though participating countries have not yet been finalised.

President Joseph Aoun chaired a meeting earlier on Wednesday at Baabda Palace attended by Saudi Foreign Ministry adviser Prince Yazid bin Farhan, French presidential envoy and former minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Qatar's Assistant Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, as well as ambassadors from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and France.

Presidency spokesperson Najat Charafeddine said the meeting had focused on preparations for the conference in support of the Lebanese aarmy and internal security forces.

She said it was agreed that the conference would take place in Paris on 5 March and would be opened by President Macron.

Charafeddine added that participants had agreed to begin the necessary contacts to ensure the widest possible international participation, stressing that it was still too early to identify which countries would attend.

A French source told The New Arab that Paris was committed to supporting Lebanon and the Lebanese people and was keen to secure the necessary backing for the military institution, particularly at this stage.

The source said the tasks required of the army demand appropriate support, and that France would work to ensure broad participation and maximise financial and political backing at the conference.

The source described Wednesday's meeting as "very positive", noting that discussions focused on the sensitivity of the current phase, the major responsibilities facing the Lebanese Army and armed forces, and the need to support them in carrying out their duties.

The source said further in-depth discussions would take place to identify the army's specific needs and build on them at the upcoming conference.

France also renewed its support for the Lebanese army and praised the tasks it has carried out, particularly after completing the first phase of its plan to ensure the exclusivity of weapons south of the Litani River.

The source said Paris was looking ahead to the next stages of the plan, especially north of the Litani, and reiterated calls for comprehensive reforms.

French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian held a series of meetings in Beirut on Wednesday focused primarily on supporting the Lebanese army and armed forces, the army's plan to ensure the exclusivity of weapons, particularly north of the Litani River following the completion of the first phase in the south, as well as financial and economic reforms.

Under US pressure and fearing expanded Israeli attacks, Lebanon has committed to disarming Hezbollah, which was weakened in more than a year of war with Israel that largely ended in late 2024.

Last week, Lebanon's army said it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm the group, covering the area south of the Litani river, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli border.

A plan for the disarmament north of the Litani is to be presented to cabinet next month.

Lebanon's army has dismantled tunnels and other military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah near the Israeli border in recent months, seizing weapons and ammunition, despite its limited capacities.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon, killing over 300 people - including women and children, and continues to occupy five south Lebanon hilltops it seized after the ceasefire came into effect.

In a statement issued last Thursday, the Lebanese army warned of delays in the delivery of promised military capabilities, saying this was affecting the pace at which it could carry out its missions and calling for the issue to be addressed seriously and fairly.

The army said that ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory, Israel's occupation of several positions inside Lebanon, the establishment of buffer zones restricting access to certain areas, and daily violations of the ceasefire agreement issued on 27 November 2024 were all negatively affecting its ability to carry out its duties, particularly near those areas.

It said this has hindered efforts to extend state authority and ensure that weapons are held exclusively by Lebanon’s armed forces.