France Calls for Immediate End to Israeli Airstrikes on Lebanon, UK Calls for Ceasefire

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) speaks with caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2024. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron (L) speaks with caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2024. (AFP)
TT

France Calls for Immediate End to Israeli Airstrikes on Lebanon, UK Calls for Ceasefire

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) speaks with caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2024. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron (L) speaks with caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2024. (AFP)

France called on Saturday for an immediate end to Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, also saying that it was opposed to any Israeli ground operation in Lebanon.

In a statement following a call with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also called on Hezbollah and Iran to refrain from any action that could destabilize the region further.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he had also spoken with Mikati on Saturday, following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut which killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

"We agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the bloodshed. A diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people," Lammy said.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told Mikati Egypt rejects any violation of Lebanon's sovereignty, a presidency statement said on Saturday.

In a phone call, Sisi also said that Egypt fully supports Lebanon "in these delicate times".

The statement made no mention of Israel's killing of Nasrallah.

Egypt will send medical and humanitarian aid to Lebanon, added the statement.



Egypt’s Sisi Warns Israeli Operations Threaten the Region

09 December 2021, Egypt, Cairo: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati (L) meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo. (Dalati & Nohra/dpa)
09 December 2021, Egypt, Cairo: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati (L) meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo. (Dalati & Nohra/dpa)
TT

Egypt’s Sisi Warns Israeli Operations Threaten the Region

09 December 2021, Egypt, Cairo: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati (L) meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo. (Dalati & Nohra/dpa)
09 December 2021, Egypt, Cairo: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati (L) meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo. (Dalati & Nohra/dpa)

Egypt’s president warned that Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon are pushing the region to the brink and called for international action.

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, one of the mediators between Israel and Hamas, called for “an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire” in both Gaza and Lebanon amid an unprecedented escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.

His remarks came after Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday.

His comments came in a phone call late Saturday with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, according to a statement from the Egyptian president’s office. He also gave orders to send medical and humanitarian aid to Lebanon immediately.

Along with the United States and Qatar, Egypt has for months spearheaded negotiations between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza.

But negotiations have repeatedly stalled amid mounting fear of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas. Diplomats see a ceasefire in Gaza as the best way to avert a regional war.