Leaders of Lebanon, France, and Jordan will meet in Paris on Thursday to support the Lebanese Army, which is facing financial difficulties.
Conference to Aid the Lebanese Army
The donor conference for the Lebanese Army, which is facing a financial shortfall, was initially scheduled for February. This conference was to be led by France, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, but was postponed following the outbreak of the Iran war and the new round of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
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The Lebanese Army is currently caught in the conflict between the Israeli Army, which occupies parts of southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah. This armed group has refused requests to surrender its weapons.
Current Conditions and Challenges Ahead
In June, the governments of Lebanon and Israel announced an agreement under which Israel would gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon, and the Lebanese Army would take control of the area, while Hezbollah would have to surrender its weapons. However, the implementation of this agreement has been delayed.
The meeting on Thursday in Paris will focus on preparations for the aid conference and will also discuss the situation in southern Lebanon and planning for international presence in the region after the end of the United Nations peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL at the end of this year.
Hezbollah was significantly weakened in the recent war that ended in November 2024, and Lebanon subsequently elected Joseph Aoun as President and Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister, who committed to weakening Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups in the country.
Lebanon has been criticized by Israel and the United States for not taking direct military action to force Hezbollah to surrender. Lebanese officials are concerned about a confrontation between the army and Hezbollah, as this could lead to a civil war.
The Lebanese government has also emphasized the need for a larger and better-equipped army to deploy throughout Lebanon and to gain the support of Hezbollah's backers, who question the army's ability to protect them.
The Lebanese Army is under pressure due to budget and equipment shortages and has relied heavily on international aid, especially from the United States, Britain, France, and Italy for years.
Saudi Arabia initially allocated $3 billion in 2013 to support the Lebanese Army with French weapons, but this aid was halted in 2016 due to the increasing political power of Hezbollah and the weakening of the Lebanese government's relations with the country.
Many soldiers have left the army or taken second jobs since the country's financial crisis in late 2019. The financial crisis has significantly impacted government institutions that once provided decent salaries and benefits, and millions of people's savings are locked in banks. The army is struggling to pay salaries due to rising inflation and reduced government budgets.
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Source: abcnews.com
