Macron offers to host Israel–Lebanon talks in Paris
Shafaq News- Paris
France expressed readiness to facilitate a ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Beirut and host potential negotiations in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday, as the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah entered its 13th day.
In a message on X written in French, Arabic, and Hebrew, Macron said he had spoken with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, warning that urgent steps were needed to prevent Lebanon from “sinking into chaos.” He urged Hezbollah to stop what he described as a “dangerous escalation.”
J’ai échangé hier avec le Président Aoun, le Premier ministre Salam et le Président du Parlement Berri.Tout doit être fait pour empêcher que le Liban ne sombre dans le chaos. Le Hezbollah doit arrêter immédiatement sa fuite en avant. Israël doit renoncer à une offensive…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 14, 2026
Macron also called on Israel to refrain from launching a large-scale attack and to halt the ongoing strikes, noting that hundreds of thousands of people have already fled the bombardment. He added that the Lebanese government had expressed readiness to hold “direct talks” with Israel and stressed that all components of the Lebanese state should be represented in such discussions.
On Friday, President Aoun said Lebanon had conveyed its willingness to negotiate with Israel but had received no response from the other side, warning that continued “Israeli aggressions” could destabilize the wider region. Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem described the confrontation in Lebanon as a legitimate act of defense against Israeli attacks and criticized the Lebanese government, arguing that it had failed to secure sovereignty or protect citizens during the escalation.
France previously helped facilitate the November 27, 2024 ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, which was monitored through the International Monitoring and Implementation Mechanism (IMIM), a US–French-sponsored framework that includes Lebanon, Israel, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Despite the agreement, UNIFIL has recorded more than 10,000 Israeli violations since it took effect, including near-daily strikes that killed and wounded hundreds of people, among them women and children.
