Brussels, Belgium ? Some 150 French army engineers landed Friday at Naqoura in southern Lebanon, and expectations rose that thousands of peacekeepers would follow quickly after European nations answered the U.N. appeal for a major contribution to an expanded international force.

The French joined 250 of their countrymen already among 2,200 peacekeepers in the country, as Italy’s leader reportedly said his nation’s troops could leave for Lebanon as early as Tuesday.

The new arrivals came as the European Union swept away a major hurdle to keeping the peace between Israel and Hezbollah by agreeing Friday to provide the “backbone” of a French-led peacekeeping force of 15,000 soldiers in Lebanon.

The commitment of up to 6,900 European soldiers relieved concerns that the peacekeeping force might be stillborn because of reluctance by many countries to send troops into the Middle East cauldron without clear instructions or authorization to use their weapons.

The international force is meant to give teeth to the Lebanese army, which has begun moving 15,000 soldiers of its own into the south to assert the central government’s authority in the region along the Israeli border for the first time in decades.

A Lebanese woman salvages belongings Friday from the remains of a 10-story residential building in the southern suburbs of Beirut, which was destroyed by an attack by Israeli forces during the 34-day Israeli-Hezbollah conflict. The densely populated residential area was bombed repeatedly by Israeli forces.

In Beirut, an official close to Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said his government welcomed the EU decision and that it would help restore stability. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make statements to the media.

But 12 days after the cease-fire in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, questions remained about how to enforce a vague truce agreement and prevent the area from exploding again.

Israel said it would lift its air and sea embargo of Lebanon once the U.N. force takes control, but EU officials said that could take up to three months. The blockade is meant to stop arms getting to Hezbollah, but it also is hindering deliveries of food, fuel and other goods.

The EU and U.N. agree the peacekeeping mission must have a strong Muslim component to give it credibility. But Israel objects to nations that do not recognize the Jewish state, saying such troops would make it impossible for Jerusalem to share intelligence with the U.N. force.

Israel’s objection would include Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh, which have volunteered troops. Turkey, meanwhile, which does have diplomatic relations with Israel and would be acceptable to all parties, has not decided whether to join the force.

It was unclear how the United Nations would meet Israel’s demand to prevent the Islamic militants of Hezbollah from rearming, including controlling the Lebanon-Syrian border.