France’s foreign minister announced that an international conference for Lebanon has secured $1 billion in pledges for humanitarian aid and military support, as the country grapples with the devastating impact of the war between Hezbollah militants and Israel. The conflict has displaced over a million people, claimed more than 2,500 lives, and worsened Lebanon’s economic crisis.
In his closing remarks at the Paris conference, which brought together representatives from over 70 countries and international organizations, Jean-Noël Barrot said, “We have collectively raised $800 million for humanitarian aid and $200 million for the security forces, totaling about $1 billion.”
Barrot expressed optimism about the global response, stating, “We’re up to the challenge.” He also revealed that the United States pledged around $300 million, while French President Emmanuel Macron called for “massive aid” to support Lebanon, with France contributing $100 million.
The United Nations had previously estimated that Lebanon’s urgent humanitarian needs amount to $426 million. Germany pledged 96 million euros in aid, allocated to both Lebanon and neighboring Syria, which has also been deeply affected by the escalating violence in the region. Italy, meanwhile, announced an additional 10 million euros ($10.8 million) in aid for Lebanon.
However, experts caution that delivering aid could be complicated due to Lebanon’s increasing reliance on an informal cash economy, which heightens risks of corruption and lack of transparency.
The Paris conference also focused on strengthening Lebanon’s armed forces to enable them to deploy in the country’s south, potentially as part of a deal to end the war. Such a deal could involve Hezbollah withdrawing its forces from the border. Macron emphasized the importance of supporting Lebanon’s military by providing healthcare, fuel, equipment, and resources to recruit 6,000 additional soldiers and deploy 8,000 more in the south.
France is also pushing to help restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and strengthen its institutions. The country has been without a president for two years, as political factions remain deadlocked over selecting a new leader, while Hezbollah operates with significant autonomy within the state.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a pre-recorded video, urged Lebanon’s leaders to “take decisive action to ensure the proper functioning of state institutions” and address the country’s political and security challenges.
Acting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on the international community to act swiftly, describing the war’s catastrophic toll on Lebanon. “The Israelis’ aggression has not only caused immense human suffering and loss of lives, but also inflicted severe damage to the country’s infrastructure, economy, and social fabric,” Mikati said at the conference.
In Lebanon, tensions escalated further as an Israeli airstrike killed three Lebanese soldiers, including an officer, while they were evacuating wounded people in southern Lebanon on Thursday. The Lebanese army reported that Israeli forces have targeted its troops eight times since the full-scale war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah in September.
Israel apologized for a previous airstrike that mistakenly killed three Lebanese soldiers and is investigating whether additional soldiers were accidentally harmed in more recent strikes, which Israel claims were aimed at Hezbollah targets.
In the past month, Israel has launched extensive air and ground operations in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah strongholds and hitting areas in the capital, Beirut, and beyond. The International Organization for Migration estimates that around 800,000 people have been displaced, many of whom are sheltering in overcrowded facilities or fleeing to Syria. Mikati, however, put the figure at over 1.4 million displaced people, including 500,000 children.
