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French President Emmanuel Macron announced in Qatar on Wednesday that his government will organize a conference dedicated to supporting the Lebanese armed forces once Israel’s elections conclude later this month. Macron told reporters on the sidelines of the One Planet Sovereign Wealth Funds Summit in Lusail that holding the event before the vote would serve little purpose but that such a gathering had become unavoidable to advance coordinated assistance. Israel is scheduled to hold elections on Oct. 27. The French leader’s comments came as truce negotiations between Lebanon and Israel continue to face obstacles following last year’s commitments by Lebanese authorities to disarm Hezbollah.
Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Macron emphasized the need to coordinate international efforts to bolster the Lebanese military in the wake of a June framework agreement signed by Lebanese and Israeli authorities. That pact calls for Hezbollah to relinquish its weapons, for Israeli forces to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory and for the Lebanese army to deploy along the border. Hezbollah has rejected any direct negotiations with Israel and refuses to surrender its arsenal, according to multiple regional reports. The agreement emerged after months of intense cross-border fighting that escalated into full-scale war in 2024.
A preparatory meeting hosted by Macron in Paris last month reviewed a deployment plan for the Lebanese Armed Forces that the French presidency described as needing to be clear, credible and realistic before substantial aid could flow. The Sept. 17 talks brought together Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, defense chiefs from several countries and senior officials from the United States and Saudi Arabia. The French presidency stated that the session aimed to strengthen Lebanon’s sovereignty so that its institutions could exercise authority across the entire national territory. Diplomats told Reuters that a full donor conference on the military and financial requirements would likely take place in late 2026 or early 2027.
The Lebanese army has struggled with chronic underfunding and equipment shortages while attempting to assert state control in southern Lebanon where Israel currently occupies more than 600 square kilometers of territory. Previous international gatherings have highlighted the force as indispensable for preventing security vacuums once the UNIFIL peacekeeping mandate expires at the end of 2026. The French presidency has repeatedly stressed that external partners will not replace the Lebanese army in any disarmament process but will instead provide financial assistance, training and material support once a viable plan is in place.
Lebanese authorities committed last year to extending state authority over all armed groups following the initial round of hostilities that ended in a fragile 2024 ceasefire. Renewed fighting this year drew Lebanon deeper into regional conflict and left large areas of the south devastated. The framework agreement signed in June sought to create conditions for Israeli withdrawal while enabling the Lebanese army to take up positions along the border. Progress has been slow amid mutual recriminations and Hezbollah’s insistence on maintaining its arsenal.
Macron’s latest initiative builds on months of French diplomacy aimed at preventing a security vacuum in southern Lebanon after the UN peacekeeping mission departs. The French leader has consulted closely with Italian officials on possible alternative multinational arrangements to support Lebanese forces. Regional analysts following the file note that sustained international backing will be required to equip and pay the Lebanese army if it is to fulfill the roles assigned under the June agreement. The forthcoming conference is expected to focus on translating those commitments into concrete programs once the Israeli political calendar clears.
