The chief of the Lebanese Army, Rodolph Haykal, in Paris on Dec. 18, 2025. (Credit: X account of the French Chief of Defense Staff)
The special envoys of the United States, France and Saudi Arabia announced Thursday in a joint statement that an international conference to support the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces (ISF) will be held in February 2026.
The conference aims to support the implementation of the militia disarmament plan, including Hezbollah, as part of the cease-fire that took effect on Nov. 26, 2024.
The decision was made after a meeting on Thursday in Paris with the commander-in-chief of the Lebanese Army, General Rodolph Haykal, who presented the latest developments of the so-called “National Shield” plan, which calls for the complete disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River by the end of the year.
“To accompany Lebanon’s efforts to implement the cessation of hostilities and the ‘National Shield’ plan, participants agreed to create a tripartite working group tasked with preparing the international conference to support the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces, to be held in February 2026,” the statement said.
It was signed by U.S. special envoy Morgan Ortagus, Saudi envoy Yazid bin Farhan and French envoy Anne-Claire Legendre.
The location of the conference has not yet been announced.
This fundraising conference for the Lebanese Army will be the first since the conference held in Paris in October 2024, during the open war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Nearly a billion euros were then raised during the “International Conference in Support of the People and the Sovereignty of Lebanon,” convened at France’s initiative to help Lebanese institutions and hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
Postponing the Dec. 31 deadline?
Regarding Thursday’s meeting, the Quai d'Orsay’s spokesperson, Pascal Confavreux, said at a press briefing that Haykal “was able to present the army’s progress” on Hezbollah’s disarmament and “report on the needs” of the troops.
“We remain committed to supporting Lebanon in fully recovering its sovereignty and in the wake of the cease-fire agreement,” Confavreux added, announcing the agreement to organize the conference in February 2026.
He also noted a “collectively positive assessment of the commitment of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the sacrifices made” in this process, stating there is “a consensus to seriously document this progress and we are working on this matter within the cease-fire monitoring mechanism.”
The Quai d'Orsay’s spokesperson also reiterated France’s call for “de-escalation” in southern Lebanon. “We are extremely vigilant regarding what is happening there, and we condemn the strikes, especially when they cause civilian casualties in southern Lebanon,” he said.
“We are working to provide the cease-fire monitoring mechanism with concrete means on the ground to attest to the progress of the Lebanese Armed Forces and certify the disarmament of Hezbollah, in particular in the region south of the Litani.”
The cease-fire oversight committee (the “Mechanism”) is scheduled to meet on Friday. It will be the second meeting since Lebanon and Israel appointed “civilian” diplomats.
In response to a question about the Dec. 31 deadline for Hezbollah’s disarmament and whether it seems realistic at this stage, the Quai d'Orsay spokesperson replied: “Our objective is the full implementation of the cease-fire in Lebanon, including the disarmament of Hezbollah. There is indeed this Dec. 31 deadline. Our job is to support Lebanese efforts to ensure it is respected. And if there is a need to postpone it, partners will discuss it. So, I do not want to preempt their decision, which will necessarily be made in the coming days.”
Before the meeting at the Élysée, = Haykal met with the chief of staff of the French armed forces, General Fabien Mandon.
In a message on X, the senior French military official said he had discussed with his counterpart “the strategic environment and security challenges in Lebanon and its region.”
“The presence of the French armed forces alongside the Lebanese armed forces is guided by a common goal: to help maintain stability and sustainable peace, with respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty,” the message said. “Our two armies have a historic cooperation illustrated in training, capability building and joint training,” he added.
Thursday morning, just hours before the meeting at the Élysée, Israeli strikes targeted southern Lebanon and the Bekaa.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri saw this as an “Israeli message” sent to the meeting.
The Paris meeting took place as the American president heightened pressure for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
On Tuesday evening, during Hanukkah celebrations at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated for the third time in less than a week that “many countries” are ready to intervene militarily to disarm the party in order to ensure “peace” in the Middle East.
