The key facts

  • Trilateral meetings of Lebanon, Israel and the US will take place on October 20 in Tampa, Florida
  • The Lebanese military delegation will present demands to end the Israeli escalation
  • Lebanon seeks an extension of the UNIFIL mandate; France confirmed its support

Statement by the President of Lebanon

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced on Saturday that trilateral meetings with Israel, with US backing, will be held on October 20 in Tampa, Florida. In a statement published by the presidency's press office on X, he said that a military delegation would travel to the meeting to present Beirut's demands for an end to the Israeli escalation and to secure 'results consistent with the framework agreement'.

Meeting with the French delegation

Aoun's statement came during his meeting with a French delegation led by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. According to the press office, Barrot expressed France's solidarity with Lebanon and its readiness to mobilize resources to address the country's urgent humanitarian needs, confirming support on all fronts.

UNIFIL mandate and conflict context

Aoun also stated that Lebanon seeks to extend the mandate of the UN peacekeeping forces (UNIFIL) and welcomes any arrangements that ensure the continuation of the international presence in the south of the country to avoid a power vacuum. According to the agency, Israel began attacks in southern Lebanon in early March and continued bombardments despite the framework agreement brokered by the United States, reached in June, which paved the way for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the disarmament of Hezbollah.