Emmanuel Macron assured the Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, received in Paris on Friday April 19, “of France’s commitment to doing everything in its power to prevent the rise in violence between Lebanon and Israel,” reported the Elysée.
The French president, who also met the head of the Lebanese army, Joseph Aoun, notably “expressed his determination to continue to provide the Lebanese armed forces with the support they need,” his services added in a press release.
According to the presidency, Emmanuel Macron “continues to act for the stability of Lebanon, in such a way that it is protected from the risks linked to the escalation of tensions in the Middle East”. “In this context, he recalled the French commitment within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and underlined the responsibility of everyone towards it, so that it can fully exercise its responsibilities. »
“France will act in this sense with all those who are ready to become more involved, in particular its European partners, following the conclusions of the extraordinary European Council” which was held on Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels, according to this press release. Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas on October 7, Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas and based in southern Lebanon, has carried out daily attacks against Israel. The Israeli army responds by bombing deeper and deeper into Lebanese territory and carrying out targeted attacks against Hezbollah officials.
The Head of State, who also spoke by telephone with the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Nabih Berri, once again called on “political leaders to finally find a way out of the institutional crisis which is weakening Lebanon ". Since the end of the mandate of President Michel Aoun (no family connection with Joseph Aoun) on October 31, 2022, Lebanese MPs have been unable to agree on appointing a successor, with Parliament divided between the camp favorable to the Islamist movement pro-Iranian Hezbollah and its adversaries. Najib Mikati, at the head of a resigned government with reduced powers, de facto rules Lebanon, a country which fears being drawn into a large-scale conflict with Israel
Emmanuel Macron is expected to meet soon with other Lebanese political actors, a sign according to Paris that he has decided to personally invest again in the crisis in Lebanon. He asked his personal envoy, former Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, “to continue his efforts.”
