UN peacekeepers’ mandate at center of talks between France and Hezbollah

French special envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, met Wednesday with a senior Hezbollah official to discuss the renewal of the UN peacekeeping mission’s mandate in southern Lebanon, according to a source familiar with the talks.

Le Drian held talks with Mohammad Raad, head of the parliamentary bloc of the Iran-backed group, which remains under pressure to disarm following its recent conflict with Israel.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed along the Israeli border, is part of an international committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement that ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah on November 27. On Tuesday, UNIFIL reported that one of its patrols was pelted with stones by residents of a southern village, an area where Hezbollah maintains strong influence. The mission described such repeated attacks as “unacceptable.”

In response, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad called for calm and restraint in handling tensions between residents and UNIFIL. He emphasized the importance of the peacekeepers’ presence in coordination with the Lebanese Army and expressed his party’s support for “positive relations” between locals and UN personnel.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah is required to withdraw its forces and dismantle military infrastructure south of the Litani River, leaving only the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL deployed in the area.

Le Drian also met Tuesday with top Lebanese officials, including President Joseph Aoun, who had previously condemned the attacks on UNIFIL as “unacceptable.” A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the French envoy discussed renewing UNIFIL’s mandate “without changes.”

In addition to security matters, Le Drian stressed the urgency of implementing long-awaited economic reforms, especially in the banking sector, which the international community sees as a key condition for unlocking billions of dollars in aid.

Lebanon has been in a state of deep economic collapse since 2019, driven by widespread corruption and mismanagement by the political elite. International donors have repeatedly urged structural reforms as a prerequisite to financial support.