Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (third from right) meeting a French delegation at Baabda Palace on 17 October 2026. (Credit: @LBpresidency/X)
BEIRUT — A Lebanese military delegation will take part in a tripartite meeting in Tampa on Oct. 20 to present Lebanon’s demands for an end to Israeli escalation in the South, President Joseph Aoun said Saturday during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and a French delegation at Baabda Palace.
Aoun said Israel continues to attack southern villages and towns, demolish homes and prevent farmers from accessing their land, adding that Israel had failed to comply with the framework agreement reached under U.S. auspices, according to a statement posted by the Lebanese presidency on X.
The continued occupation and tensions in the South were preventing the Lebanese army from deploying up to the international border in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, Aoun said.
He expressed hope that the Tampa meeting would yield "results consistent with the framework agreement."
Aoun also called for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to have its mandate extended or to continue carrying out security tasks in 2027, the year scheduled for its withdrawal. The U.N. peacekeeping force is due to withdraw from Lebanon in 2027 following a Security Council decision to end its mandate. If that were not possible, Lebanon welcomed "any formula that guarantees an international presence in the South and prevents a vacuum," Aoun said, warning against leaving the Lebanese army facing Israeli forces in occupied areas.
He called for French support at the United Nations and the Security Council to help prevent such a vacuum.
Aoun said the Lebanese army and other security forces were "implementing government decisions to extend state authority, prevent armed displays and seize weapons and ammunition," adding that violators were referred to the judiciary. This comes, after Hezbollah had claimed, earlier this week, ownership of hundreds of kilograms of explosives that were seized by the authorities between the Bekaa and Beirut.
Aoun also called for "the army and security forces to be strengthened and equipped," expressing hope that an international conference to support them would be held soon, following a preparatory meeting in Paris last month.
The Paris meeting was held as part of international efforts to mobilize support for the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces, which are tasked with extending state authority across the country.
France reaffirms support for Lebanon
Barrot reaffirmed France’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability and security, and its commitment to the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement signed on June 26, 2026, and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, according to the presidency’s statement.
He stressed the need for "a new international framework" to support Lebanese sovereignty and the redeployment of the armed forces, warning of the serious consequences of a potential security vacuum.
Aoun thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for his decision to resume French commercial flights to Beirut, his support for including the ports of Beirut and Tripoli in the port network of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), and his role in establishing a European mission to advise and support the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces for three years.
Barrot said France was ready to mobilize its resources to address Lebanon’s urgent humanitarian needs and support the implementation of essential economic reforms.
Aoun said Lebanon was continuing to work on economic and financial reforms approved by the government before referring them to Parliament, adding that Lebanon was a natural strategic partner for European countries because its security and stability were linked to theirs.
