By Euronews
Published on
French President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and asked him to “refrain from a ground offensive” in Lebanon.
“I urged the Israeli Prime Minister to preserve Lebanon’s territorial integrity and to refrain from a ground offensive,” the French leader wrote on X on Wednesday.
The phone call with Netanyahu marked Macron’s first conversation with the Israeli leader since last year, who has voiced anger over France’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state in September.
Macron also said he held talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. The Head of State advocated a return “to the ceasefire agreement” and urging them to press Hezbollah to cease “its attacks on Israel and beyond”.
“France will continue, together with its partners, to support the efforts of the Lebanese Armed Forces so that they can fully carry out their missions of sovereignty and put an end to the threat posed by Hezbollah,” he said.
France will also take steps to support displaced communities in Lebanon, Macron added.
“Our solidarity with the Lebanese people and our commitment to regional stability remain at the heart of our action,” he wrote.
According to local authorities, more than 83,000 people have been displaced from their home across Lebanon since renewed exchanges of fire began this weekend.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military again issued evacuation warnings to residents of dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, as airstrikes on suburbs of Beirut intensified and Hezbollah claimed more attacks.
Lebanon was drawn into the US-Israeli war with Tehran after the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel following the death of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
France boosts defences in Middle East
In a televised address on Tuesday evening, Macron condemned the US-Israeli strikes against Iran, which he said were “carried out outside international law.” The French leader did, however, attribute”primary responsibility for this situation” to the Islamic Republic.
Macron announced France would deploy additional air defence capabilities to several of these allied countries as part of a “defensive” force, including to Cyprus, after drone incidents targeted British facilities on the island.
He also ordered the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle to be sent to the Mediterranean, citing the impact of the Middle East conflict on international trade.