France’s Macron urges Israel and Iran to keep Lebanon out of war

Shafaq News- Paris

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on both sides of the Middle East conflict to keep Lebanon out of the escalating confrontation between Iran and Israel.

Speaking to reporters, Macron said he had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to expand the war into Lebanon, while also urging Iranian officials to avoid further involving the country in a conflict “that is not theirs.”

The French president stressed the need to do everything possible to prevent Lebanon from being drawn into another war, pledging to send urgent humanitarian assistance to civilians displaced from southern Lebanon. 

Ealier today, the Lebanese presidency stated that President Joseph Aoun urged Macron to intervene to prevent Israel from targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs and to push for a ceasefire. The request came hours after Israel issued warnings for residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate the area entirely. The district is one of the most densely populated areas in Lebanon and a major stronghold of support for Hezbollah.

During previous conflicts between Israel and Lebanon since Israel’s first invasion in 1978, Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut with airstrikes, leading to destruct parrs of its buildings, streets, and markets.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the mass evacuation of the southern suburbs would pose a serious risk to Lebanon’s stability. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Berri discussed several proposals with the French president aimed at halting what he described as Israeli aggression.