French President Emmanuel Macron is pressing ahead with plans for a new European military presence in southern Lebanon, but Israel is expected to oppose the initiative and Italy is reluctant to contribute troops, according to reports on Tuesday.

A diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday evening that Israel is expected to oppose the French proposal to establish a new European military force in southern Lebanon to replace the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, when its mandate expires at the end of the year.

According to a report published on Tuesday by Fox News, Macron is pressing ahead with a proposal for a multinational force potentially involving thousands of European troops to support the Lebanese Armed Forces following the expiration of UNIFIL's mandate. The proposed force's size, mandate, composition and participating countries have yet to be finalised.

Italy holds back

The French initiative is already encountering resistance from one of Paris's key European partners. Three sources familiar with the discussions told Fox News Digital that Italy, which previously joined France in supporting the creation of an international coalition after UNIFIL's withdrawal, does not support deploying its troops under the proposal Paris has advanced.

The Italian government has not publicly commented on the report. Diplomats have said Italy remains strongly committed to its presence in Lebanon but appears reluctant to join an ad hoc coalition, partly due to cost concerns, as such missions are not funded by the UN.

Israel's anticipated opposition adds another obstacle to Macron's initiative, particularly as Washington has emphasised that any new international monitoring arrangement in southern Lebanon must be acceptable to both Israel and Lebanon.

Washington explores a civilian alternative

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he had discussed UNIFIL's future with Macron, but made clear that Washington does not necessarily believe another military deployment is required.

“It doesn't have to be a military mission. It could be a civilian mission,” Rubio said. He said the administration is seeking a credible mechanism to verify arrangements under which Israeli forces withdraw from designated areas, the Lebanese Armed Forces assume control and Hezbollah is prevented from returning.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz also made clear that Washington has no intention of preserving the existing peacekeeping mission. “UNIFIL in its current form will not continue, and it must not continue,” Waltz told Fox News Digital, adding that the US is working with partners to draw down the mission and ensure the Lebanese Armed Forces can secure the nation's future.

Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, senior envoy for Europe at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, warned that replacing UNIFIL with another international military force risks repeating the shortcomings of the current mission, arguing that Hezbollah built up its military presence in southern Lebanon with international peacekeepers already on the ground.

Stalled disarmament talks

The disagreement over UNIFIL's future comes amid continuing difficulties implementing the US-brokered security agreement reached between Israel and Lebanon in June. That arrangement links the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from designated areas of southern Lebanon to the deployment of Lebanese troops, alongside efforts to disarm armed groups and prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing its military presence.

Implementation has progressed slowly beyond the initial pilot zones, and talks in October ended without agreement on how to advance the process. Under a UN Security Council resolution adopted in August 2025, UNIFIL's mandate is scheduled to expire on 31 December 2026, followed by a phased withdrawal expected to be completed within one year.

France, by contrast, has warned against leaving a security vacuum. The French mission to the UN has said Paris will support UNIFIL until the expiration of its mandate and will contribute to defining future international engagement in Lebanon, in support of its sovereignty and the implementation of resolution 1701.

The initiative comes as Macron faces mounting unrest at home, with widespread demonstrations over rising living costs, wages and deteriorating public services, and pressure to pass the 2027 budget amid mounting public debt.