Marco Rubio mentioned, on Monday, 9 November, in Paris, a possible civilian mission to Lebanon to verify the implementation of security commitments after UNIFIL. The US Secretary of State reported that he had discussed this track with Emmanuel Macron. Its objective would be to have observers deemed credible by the parties. The format remains to be defined and would require agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
The statement took place on the margins of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Paris on 9 and 10 November. It specifies an American post-FINUL option, without announcing the creation of a new force or a final agreement on its mandate.
A civilian mission to Lebanon to verify commitments
Rubio placed the verification of the pilot zones at the centre of his speech. In the device described, Israeli forces must leave these areas and the Lebanese army must deploy there. Washington wants to ensure that Hezbollah will not reinvest them to carry out attacks.
The US official also insisted on monitoring both parties’ commitments. The mechanism should establish who is meeting its obligations, with a field presence accepted as reliable. This function should not necessarily be a military function, he said.
His statements therefore set out a monitoring objective. They do not constitute a finding that Israeli withdrawals, Lebanese deployments or the security of the areas concerned have already been completed.
Paris consulted, Beirut and Israel still have to accept
The Secretary of State indicated that several ideas had been discussed with the French President. He refused to publicly detail the modalities, citing the sensitivity of the discussions. He believed that France could help establish a credible mechanism.
This presentation remains Rubio’s. It does not allow Emmanuel Macron to approve the entire American scheme. No detailed Franco-American agreement was presented in these remarks.
Rubio has, above all, imposed a political condition: the mechanism should obtain Lebanese and Israeli consent. This requirement concerns the very functioning of the future presence. It leaves open its membership, its responsibilities and the conditions under which its members could work.
The US official did not announce any staff, funding or deployment schedule. He did not specify which institution would carry the mission. Civility remains a possibility, not a definite choice.
End of mandate and withdrawal remain two steps
UNIFIL has a separate schedule set by the Security Council. Resolution 2790 of 2025 extended its mandate for a final period, until 31 December 2026. It provides for the cessation of its operations on that date, followed by a reduction and withdrawal ordered within one year.
Not all peacekeepers must therefore leave Lebanon on the evening of 31 December. During the withdrawal phase, the resolution maintains some limited functions. They include the security of United Nations personnel and, within available capabilities, a contribution to the protection of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
The option mentioned in Paris concerns verification of commitments on the ground. It does not extend the current mandate or automatically transfer all functions of UNIFIL. The discussions still have to determine the tasks entrusted to this possible presence and the guarantees necessary for their exercise.
Rubio clarified that details were still being developed. The agreement of the Lebanese and Israeli authorities and a public definition of the mandate remain the next steps to be taken.
Archive photo: Official portrait of Marco Rubio, January 8, 2018. United States Senate, public domain. Integral photograph preserved, cladding Libnanews.Credit Line.
Comments