Macron Urges Israel to Refrain from Ground Incursion into Lebanon
Macron disclosed that he had held direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam over what he described as the "very worrying" situation unfolding along the Israeli-Lebanese border.
The French leader delivered a blunt warning to Hezbollah, insisting the group must "immediately cease its attacks against Israel and beyond," and cautioning that its current escalation strategy represents "a major mistake that puts the entire region at risk."
In the same breath, Macron turned his pressure toward Jerusalem. "I also called on the Israeli prime minister to preserve Lebanon's territorial integrity and to refrain from a ground offensive," he said, stressing that a return to the existing ceasefire framework was essential for all parties involved.
Paris' diplomatic push extended beyond the presidency. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had earlier on Tuesday signaled the "need for de-escalation" in a call with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar, according to the French Foreign Ministry.
Barrot expressed France's solidarity with victims of recent Iranian strikes but held firm on the principle that Lebanon's "territorial integrity" must be honored. While condemning the "firing of rockets and drones" by Hezbollah against Israel, he insisted that Lebanese civilians must be shielded from the violence.
The two ministers also tackled the broader strategic threat posed by Tehran, including its advancing nuclear and ballistic weapons programs. Barrot stressed the need for a "long-term response" to Iran's regional destabilization campaign, underscoring that a diplomatic pivot remained indispensable to securing lasting collective stability across the region.
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