French President Emmanuel Macron hosts Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Paris for talks on Lebanon’s security and support for the Lebanese Armed Forces. Jordan’s King Abdullah II also takes part in the meeting. The discussions focus on international backing for Lebanon amid ongoing regional tensions and the security situation in the south.

Several outlets link the talks to growing concerns over Israel’s continued strikes in southern Lebanon and the risk of a security vacuum. France seeks to address the future of border security as UNIFIL’s peacekeeping mission is set to end at the end of 2026, with uncertainty over who will secure the border afterward. Euronews reports Lebanon is looking for international support to strengthen its armed forces and prevent the vacuum.

France 24 also includes reporting from Lebanon, where some people express limited hope after months of war with Israel and amid continued occupation of parts of southern Lebanon. While the coverage broadly agrees on the aims of the Paris meeting, it differs in emphasis: some stories foreground UNIFIL and the funding/equipment/training dimension, while another highlights public sentiment and the search for a framework agreement to stabilise the country.