Beirut, Lebanon – Lebanese Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal met on Thursday with French Chief of Staff General Fabien Mandon to discuss the strategic environment and security challenges facing Lebanon and the region. The meeting took place in Paris, ahead of a broader international meeting with representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United States, and France.
This meeting comes at a highly sensitive time, amid growing fears of a collapse of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. This is occurring against a backdrop of ongoing escalation on the southern front.
The French Chief of Staff stated in a post on the X platform that the French and Lebanese armies “maintain a historic cooperation evident in the areas of training, capacity building, and joint operations.” He emphasized that France’s presence alongside the Lebanese army aims to “contribute to maintaining stability and achieving lasting peace with full respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
According to diplomatic sources, this meeting is a prelude to an international gathering aimed at finalizing a roadmap for activating an international mechanism to disarm Hezbollah. It also prepares for the possibility of an international conference to support the Lebanese army and enable it to extend its control. These efforts aim to strengthen the state’s role during this critical period.
These political and military moves aim to prevent Lebanon from sliding into a new round of violence. This comes at a time of escalating tensions on the ground in Lebanon. Israeli aircraft, coinciding with the meetings in Paris, launched airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in southern and eastern Lebanon. This increases international pressure for swift action to maintain stability.
