Israel expected to oppose French plan for new force to replace UNIFIL in Lebanon

A senior Israeli source said Israel will oppose French President Macron's initiative for a new European military force to replace UNIFIL in southern Lebanon. G7 ministers agreed on avoiding a security void after UNIFIL's mandate expires December 31, 2026, but no replacement was decided. The US is considering a civilian alternative.

An Israeli political source told Walla that Israel is expected to oppose the initiatives of French President Emmanuel Macron to establish a new European military force in southern Lebanon, which would replace the UN's UNIFIL force. These statements come against the backdrop of Paris's efforts to formulate a new security framework on the Israel-Lebanon border. According to a report on Fox News, Macron is promoting a plan to deploy a multinational force that may include thousands of soldiers from Europe, but Italy, a key European partner of France, opposes sending its troops. In the US, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that a military force is not necessarily required, and that a civilian mission might suffice. UNIFIL's mandate expires on December 31, 2026, and the dispute concerns whether a new military force is needed in the first place and what its powers would be to prevent Hezbollah's return.