France’s defence minister on Tuesday urged the wealthy Gulf states to find ways to bolster Lebanon’s armed forces, saying they will be crucial for securing border areas after Israel’s war with Hezbollah.
As efforts towards a ceasefire increase, Sebastien Lecornu told AFP that the Gulf monarchies, rich from oil and gas, should consider “operational support” for the Lebanese forces.
“I have reiterated to each counterpart that we need them to support the Lebanese armed forces,” Lecornu said after visits to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“Both in the central role they play in welfare matters, and in the security aspect. We will have to think about more operational support on the military side.”
Lecornu was speaking in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi before meeting President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed at the end of his three-country tour.
Diplomatic efforts are intensifying to secure a ceasefire based on United Nations Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
The resolution called for the deployment of Lebanese government forces and United Nations peacekeeping force UNIFIL in areas south of Lebanon’s Litani River near the Israeli border.
“There isn’t a better solution at this stage than to respect Resolution 1701 and to support the Lebanese armed forces,” Lecornu said.
But “to secure the border between Israel and Lebanon, and to reinforce Lebanon’s sovereignty, the armed forces must be properly armed,” he added.
Israel expanded the focus of its operations from Gaza to Lebanon in late September, vowing to secure its northern border to allow tens of thousands of people displaced by cross-border fire to return home.
Since the clashes began with Hezbollah attacks on Israel, more than 3,510 people in Lebanon have been killed, according to authorities there, with most fatalities recorded since late September.
Last month, a conference in Paris raised $200 million to support the Lebanese armed forces, on top of $800 in humanitarian aid for the country.
The Lebanese army, which plays a crucial role in maintaining stability in the deeply divided country, struggles to meet the basic needs of its 80,000 soldiers, especially since Lebanon’s economy collapsed in 2019.
It has previously received financial assistance from Qatar and the United States to pay salaries.
