Aoun Says Lebanon Wants UNIFIL Mission to Continue, Backs European Alternative

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has reaffirmed Lebanon’s desire for the United Nations peacekeeping force in the country’s south, known as UNIFIL, to continue its operational mission.

Aoun conveyed the position to Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Helen McEntee, underscoring Lebanon’s support for maintaining an international security presence in the south.

The president also expressed support for an alternative European force, alongside his call for UNIFIL to carry on its work.

The remarks outlined Lebanon’s position on the future of the international presence, but the information provided did not specify how a European alternative would be structured or when it might be deployed.