Lead:
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun held separate meetings with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amine Nasser Muhammad on Saturday to address Lebanon's security posture after UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) operations conclude on December 31. Both officials rejected any security vacuum in the south and insisted on full Israeli withdrawal to internationally recognized borders, coupled with renewed international peacekeeping. The talks signal urgent Lebanese efforts to shape diplomatic solutions before the mandate deadline.
Details:
According to Al-Joumhouria, Prime Minister Salam emphasized three priorities during his meeting: mental health support programs, post-UNIFIL arrangements, and prevention of any power vacuum. Salam reiterated his rejection of international absence in southern Lebanon and demanded complete Israeli withdrawal to recognized international boundaries, coupled with continued UN-mandated international presence supporting UN Security Council Resolution 1701. He linked the security transition to state reconstruction in the south, noting telecommunications networks had recovered to 90 percent capacity and efforts continued to restore government services to underserved areas.
President Aoun framed the issue in constitutional terms, according to Al-Joumhouria. He insisted that Resolution 1701 must remain the legal reference point and foundation for any future international arrangements. Aoun emphasized the critical role UNIFIL forces currently play in southern stability and stressed the priority of ensuring uninterrupted international support aligned with the established UN resolution framework.
Government spokesman Paul Marqes told Al-Joumhouria that solutions to the UNIFIL transition "may become clearer in coming hours and days." Marqes described the government and presidency as working to "fill any vacuum that may result from UNIFIL withdrawal," noting active international engagement and exploration of multiple formulas to meet minimum southern security requirements.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Muhammad relayed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's solidarity message and pledged continued international backing, according to both outlets. She underscored the importance of maintaining Lebanon's situation as a priority in international attention, particularly during the transitional phase tied to UNIFIL's future.
Watch For:
US Special Envoy Michael Waltz is expected to visit Lebanon the week of November 17 to convey Washington's position on UNIFIL alternatives. His meetings with Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Salam will signal whether a Franco-American consensus on preventing a southern security vacuum translates into an agreed replacement model.
Reports indicate the US may propose adapting the Multinational Force and Observers model deployed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula since 1981 as a possible substitute. Lebanon's position—acceptance of international presence only under UN mandate and consistent with Resolution 1701—will be tested against what the international community can actually deliver by December 31.
Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon continue amid negotiations. Any unresolved questions about Israeli withdrawal timelines and the mechanism for international verification before December 31 could complicate final diplomatic arrangements.