Copyright AP Photo/Hussein Malla
France and Italy are reportedly advocating for the creation of a new multinational force to replace the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon when its mandate in Lebanon expires at the end of the year.
The coalition will be formed in coordination with the EU and the UN, with the goal of “strengthening Lebanon’s sovereignty,” French President Emmanuel Macron said after a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Antibes, News.Az reports, citing Sweden Herald.
UNIFIL’s mandate expires at the end of the year and the force will wind down its operations in southern Lebanon next year.
From our point of view, it is necessary to ensure an international presence to avoid an extremely dangerous security vacuum, Meloni said.
UNIFIL currently consists of around 7,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries. The operation has been ongoing since 1978.