Lebanon, France and Jordan to Meet in Paris on Backing Lebanese Army

The presidents of Lebanon, France and Jordan are set to meet in Paris on Thursday to discuss support for Lebanon's cash-strapped military, in a push to revive international backing for the force.

A donor conference for the Lebanese army had originally been scheduled for February, to be led by France, Saudi Arabia and the United States. It was put off after the outbreak of the Iran war and the most recent round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Thursday's meeting is intended to prepare the ground for that conference. According to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's office, the talks will also address the situation in southern Lebanon and plans for an international presence there once the mandate of the U.N. peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, expires at the end of the year.

The Lebanese army is caught between Israeli forces, which now occupy much of southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah, which has refused appeals to surrender its weapons. In June, the Lebanese and Israeli governments announced a framework agreement under which Israel would withdraw gradually from the south, the Lebanese army would take control and Hezbollah would be disarmed. Its implementation has stalled.

Hezbollah was significantly weakened in the war that ended in November 2024. Lebanon subsequently elected Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who pledged to disarm Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups. Israel and the United States have criticized Lebanon for not using direct military action to force the group to disarm.

Lebanese officials are wary of a confrontation between the army and Hezbollah, fearing it could descend into civil war. The government has said it needs a larger, better-equipped military to deploy nationwide and to reassure Hezbollah supporters who doubt the army's ability to protect them.

Lebanon's military has long been underfunded and underequipped, relying heavily on international donors including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Italy. Saudi Arabia had earmarked $3 billion in 2013 to support the army with French weapons, but halted the aid in 2016 as Hezbollah's political power grew and ties with Beirut deteriorated.

Since Lebanon's fiscal crisis in late 2019, many soldiers have left the military or taken second jobs. The crisis hit state institutions that once offered decent salaries and benefits and locked the savings of millions in banks, leaving the military struggling to pay adequate wages as inflation rises and state budgets shrink.