Paris Hosts Saudi-French-American Meeting to Discuss Support for Lebanon
Paris hosts a trilateral meeting to discuss support for the Lebanese army and set a date for a new international conference.
SUMMARY
Paris is hosting a trilateral meeting between Saudi Arabia, France, and the United States to discuss support for the Lebanese army and implement required reforms in Lebanon amid ongoing tensions despite the ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Trilateral meeting in Paris including Saudi Arabia, France, and the United States to discuss support for the Lebanese army.
- Discussion on implementing the deployment plan in the south, border demarcation, and Lebanon's role in stability.
- Agreement on disarming Hezbollah in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from advanced positions.
- Hezbollah refuses to disarm while Israel retains five strategic sites inside Lebanon.
CORE SUBJECT
Meeting to Support the Lebanese Army and the Lebanese File
The French capital, Paris, is hosting on Thursday a trilateral meeting including Saudi Arabia, France, and the United States to discuss the Lebanese file, particularly ways to support the Lebanese army and to set a date for holding a new international conference, in the presence of Lebanese Army Commander Rudolf Heikal.
The meeting focuses on mechanisms to enhance support for the army in its security tasks, implementing the deployment plan in the south, in addition to providing maps for border demarcation, and discussing Lebanon's role in maintaining stability, according to the news site "Al Arabiya.net."
The meeting is also seen as a test of the seriousness of the Lebanese state in implementing the required reforms, stopping illegal weapons, and setting a roadmap for international support in the upcoming phase.
This move comes amid ongoing tension despite the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, which ended a confrontation that lasted more than a year between Hezbollah and Israel. Despite the agreement, Israel continues to carry out airstrikes on various Lebanese areas, asserting that its aim is to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities.
The ceasefire agreement stipulates stopping hostilities and Hezbollah's withdrawal to north of the Litani River in preparation for disarming it throughout Lebanon, in exchange for the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army from the positions it advanced to during the war.
However, Israel still retains five strategic sites inside Lebanese territory, while Hezbollah refuses to disarm, considering that the agreement is limited to the area north of the Litani.
Last August, Lebanese authorities approved a plan to disarm Hezbollah in implementation of the agreement, and the army began applying it in phases, with the first phase, which includes the border area with Israel south of the Litani, expected to conclude by the end of the year.
KEYWORDS
MENTIONED ENTITIES 6
Rudolf Heikal
👤 Person_MaleCommander of the Lebanese Army
Saudi Arabia
📍 Location_CountryCountry participating in the trilateral meeting
France
📍 Location_CountryHost country of the meeting
United States
📍 Location_CountryCountry participating in the trilateral meeting
Hezbollah
🏛️ OrganizationLebanese armed organization
Israel
📍 Location_CountryCountry involved in the agreement and conducting airstrikes