Shafaq News- Paris

Italy and France agreed to form a coalition to support Lebanon after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires at the end of this year, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Thursday.

Speaking at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, Meloni said that the two leaders discussed the possibility of holding an international conference dedicated to supporting Lebanon during the post-UNIFIL phase. She noted that Italy and France "can certainly make a difference," adding that an international presence is needed to prevent "a highly dangerous security vacuum."

Macron said Paris and Rome want to launch the coalition in coordination with the European Union and the United Nations, “to strengthen Lebanon's sovereignty and armed forces and prevent the country's territory from becoming a base for regional escalation.”

🔴 Dichiarazioni congiunte alla stampa con il Presidente Macron, in occasione del 36º Vertice intergovernativo Italia-Francia https://t.co/1hdVHu2PRH

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) June 25, 2026

UNIFIL was first deployed in 1978 after Israel’s advance into southern Lebanon, and its mandate expanded in 2006 following the July Israel–Hezbollah war. The peacekeeping mission includes troops from more than 40 countries and conducts patrols along the Blue Line, a 120-kilometer boundary set by the UN in 2000 following Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.