Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has announced his intention to reach a security agreement with Israel following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the south of the country. He also emphasized his determination to disarm the Iran-backed group Hezbollah without resorting to confrontation.
Before departing for France on Wednesday, September 16, Aoun stated that a new international force—whether European or otherwise—must be established to prevent a security vacuum once the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires at the end of the year. He called on the United States, the European Union, and Arab nations to support the Lebanese Armed Forces as they deploy to the south.
In Paris, the Lebanese President will attend a meeting hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, with the participation of King Abdullah II of Jordan, to mobilize international support for the Lebanese military.
The new force must be temporary
“It is important that there is no vacuum,” Aoun said. According to the president, any new force in southern Lebanon—parts of which remain under Israeli occupation—must be “temporary—until the moment the Lebanese army is deployed.”
The president noted that the origin of these forces does not matter: they could be European, non-European, American, under United Nations auspices, Asian, or a combination of European, Arab, and Asian units.
In 2025, the United Nations Security Council decided to extend the UNIFIL mandate for the final time until December 31, 2026, after which an organized and safe process for the mission’s gradual withdrawal is set to begin.
A security agreement with Israel, Aoun said, is primarily needed to end the state of hostilities and create conditions for the deployment of the Lebanese army along the border. In his view, this could pave the way for a future peace treaty, though an immediate transition to one is currently impossible.
Over six months of Israeli bombardment, triggered by a Hezbollah rocket attack in early March, have led to the destruction of villages and the displacement of residents across large areas of southern Lebanon.
Aoun advocates for disarming Hezbollah without confrontation
In an interview, Aoun reiterated that Lebanon is committed to disarming Hezbollah. He stated that this decision “is not subject to negotiation and is not a matter for discussion.”
At the same time, the president emphasized that the goal is not confrontation. “We are determined to resolve this issue peacefully. It is not about building a state at the cost of a bloody conflict or a new civil war,” Aoun said.
UNIFIL was established in 1978, days after Israel invaded southern Lebanon in response to attacks by Palestinian militants. The mission’s mandate has been extended multiple times, including after the final withdrawal of Israeli troops in 2000.
Following the month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, the role of UNIFIL was expanded to include monitoring the new ceasefire along the border between Lebanon and Israel and ensuring humanitarian access for civilians.
If the mandate is not extended, UNIFIL will begin gradually closing its bases on January 1. More than 7,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries will leave the region, handing over their positions to the Lebanese military.
Source: Folha de S.Paulo
