The issue of peacekeeping forces in Lebanon was at the centre of discussions between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Friday.
Concern is growing over the possibility of a security vacuum in southern Lebanon, with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon set to withdraw from the region by December 31, 2026.
Mr Aoun and Ms Melon spoke about “Italy’s role in consolidating security and stability in the south” of Lebanon, the Lebanese leader's office said on social media, and “the period following the end of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil)” .
Italy – which has the biggest contingent of EU soldiers in the peacekeeping mission – and France are planning to establish another force along with several European countries, backed by Nato, to take over Unifil's role.
The US and Israel, which is fighting the Hezbollah militant group in southern Lebanon, have opposed the plan and proposed instead a US-led force. Mr Aoun wishes to press on with the EU-backed force working alongside the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Mr Aoun thanked Ms Meloni “for the support Italy provides to Lebanon at various levels”.
“They also discussed the general situation in Lebanon, particularly in the south, in light of the continuing Israeli attacks and the need to pressure Israel to comply with the implementation of the framework agreement reached during the Lebanese-American-Israeli negotiations in Washington,” his office said.
As he concluded his two-day visit, Mr Aoun also met Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who holds a largely constitutional role.
Carla Jazaar, Lebanon’s ambassador to Italy, attended both meetings.
Mr Aoun had earlier met Pope Leo XIV on Thursday and thanked him for his efforts to support Lebanon in seeking an end to the Israeli occupation and attacks on its territory.
In a post on X, Mr Aoun called on the Pope to “continue supporting Lebanon’s demands and urged the Vatican to maintain its diplomatic efforts in international forums to help secure them”.
Lebanon and Israel have engaged in seven rounds of direct talks, a first in decades, with some held at the US embassy in Rome.
The talks have focused on the creation of so-called “pilot zones” – designated areas in which Israeli forces would withdraw, the Lebanese army would assume control and Hezbollah would disarm. So far, Israel has withdrawn from only two pilot zones.
Mr Aoun’s meetings in Rome come as Lebanon seeks to maintain international support for the implementation while negotiations continue. Although the next round of talks is meant to take place in September, a Lebanese political source said Israel has yet to confirm the dates.
Turning the Unifil page
Unifil has been operating along the southern border of Lebanon since 1978, with an annually renewed mandate set to expire in December.
Unifil is mandated to monitor the cessation of hostilities and violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, support the deployment of the LAF in southern Lebanon and assist in establishing an area between the Blue Line and the Litani River free of armed personnel, weapons and military assets other than those belonging to the Lebanese state or Unifil.
It is also tasked with enabling the delivery of humanitarian aid, and supporting efforts to ensure security and freedom of movement.
The force's mandate was renewed one last time in 2025. The decision for a final extension reflected a push, particularly from the US, to end what Washington viewed as an open-ended peacekeeping mission and have the Lebanese state assume sole responsibility for security in southern Lebanon.
Italy, alongside other EU nations such as France, had warned that a premature withdrawal would create a security vacuum, with the LAF incapable of filling the gap.
Pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and take control of the southern region is mounting.
Washington is pushing Beirut to fulfil an agreement with Israel to put all weapons under state control and disarm Hezbollah.
The US-brokered agreement, signed in June, links Hezbollah's disarmament to the broader security arrangement and Israeli withdrawal. Israel refuses to withdraw from southern Lebanon until the group is disarmed, while its forces continue to strike the area daily.
