French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced at a summit in Antibes on 25 June that they plan to lead a multinational coalition to succeed UNIFIL (the UN Interim Force in Lebanon) when its mandate expires in December 2026, aiming to bolster Lebanese sovereignty and prevent a dangerous security vacuum. The two leaders, whose countries are among UNIFIL's largest contributors, said the new force would work alongside the Lebanese Armed Forces to ensure the government holds a monopoly on the use of force across its territory. Meloni called for a clear international legal mandate — something she said UNIFIL lacked — and suggested an international conference could be held soon to bring in European and Middle Eastern partners, while Macron noted it remains too early to determine whether the mission would operate under a formal UN mandate.