### Southern EU Nations Pledge Support for Lebanese Armed Forces Amid Middle East Tensions

In a significant move aimed at stabilizing Lebanon's southern region, leaders from nine Southern European Union countries have announced their support for Lebanon's armed forces. The MED9 group, comprising Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Slovenia, Portugal, and Croatia, issued a joint statement emphasizing the critical role of the Lebanese Armed Forces in restoring peace and stability to an area troubled by conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

The MED9 leaders expressed deep concern over the escalating military confrontations in the Middle East, particularly the impact of the Gaza conflict on the broader region. French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the importance of the Lebanese armed forces' return to South Lebanon, stating it is essential for the nation's peace and stability. Although he did not specify the exact nature of the support, Macron mentioned an upcoming conference on October 24 in Paris, aimed at increasing aid to Lebanon and strengthening its military and internal security forces.

Macron and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni also indicated that the G7 defense ministers' meeting would explore ways to assist Lebanon's army in taking control of the southern region. This declared support aligns with recent conversations between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and France, addressing how the election of a new Lebanese president might mitigate Middle East tensions by encouraging Hezbollah to withdraw from Israel's northern border.

In addition, Macron, Meloni, and Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned Israel's reported targeting of United Nations peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon, which include troops from France, Spain, and Italy. Macron called for an immediate cessation of such actions, emphasizing that they are unacceptable and must not reoccur.

Sánchez and Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob also supported Macron's proposal of suspending weapons deliveries to Israel, viewing it as a crucial step to de-escalate the conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza. Sánchez pointed out that Spain had already stopped selling weapons to Israel since the escalation began, arguing that reduced weapon supplies would naturally lead to a reduction in warfare.

During the meeting, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, who hosted the gathering, addressed the issue of irregular migration, emphasizing the need to tackle its root causes in the migrants' home or transit countries. He also discussed the necessity of creating favorable conditions within Syria, in collaboration with the United Nations refugee agency and other international partners, to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees.

Climate change was also a key topic on the agenda, with Christodoulides stressing the urgency of joint action in the Mediterranean region, which is particularly susceptible to its effects. Cyprus reintroduced an initiative, in partnership with Jordan, to establish a regional firefighting hub equipped with dedicated aircraft stationed on the island to respond to wildfires in the eastern Mediterranean.