French President Emmanuel Macron continues his efforts to halt the Israeli war on Lebanon, also stressing the need to stop supplying weapons to Israel.
Macron’s communications, as part of his call for an international conference to support Lebanon announced over a week ago, involve a wide range of Arab leaders, France’s European partners, the US, and Israel. The Lebanese issue was also discussed at the summit of the European-Mediterranean countries held in the Cypriot city of Paphos.
So far, Paris has not backed away from the French-American initiative calling for a temporary halt to military operations between Israel and Hezbollah, allowing room to discuss the activation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and arrange security measures along the borders while seeking to find solutions to the border disputes between Lebanon and Israel.
Macron has strongly reacted to the targeting of UN peacekeeping forces (UNIFIL), stating that France “will not allow this to happen again.” In addition to a joint statement by France, Spain, and Italy on the security of UNIFIL, in which attacks on the forces were described as trampling on international humanitarian law and UN Security Council resolutions, Paris also signed a statement by the Group of Forty. This group includes 36 countries with troops operating under UNIFIL, along with six other supporting nations.
The statement emphasized the need to “respect the presence of UNIFIL, which means ensuring the safety and security of its personnel at all times”. It also expressed support for UNIFIL’s role, especially in the current critical phase, given the escalation in the region.
Macron and Berri
As part of intensive contacts, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot visited Beirut before embarking on a second regional tour that took him to several Arab capitals and Israel, without returning to Lebanon. Sources in Paris indicated that the reason for excluding Beirut was the resistance Barrot encountered in Israel regarding the possibility of achieving a ceasefire on the Lebanese front.
Macron also called Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday. The latter received an extended 40-minute call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Paris sees Berri as playing a “key role” today, given that he is “officially” tasked by Hezbollah with handling the political aspect and is considered the channel capable of delivering direct messages to the party’s leadership and influencing it. This comes especially after the issuance of the tripartite statement calling for a ceasefire and the acceptance of implementing UN Resolution 1701, which effectively means Hezbollah abandoning its “support front” and separating the war in Gaza from the conflict in Lebanon.
Given the importance of the Macron-Berri conversation, which provided the French president with a clear picture of what Hezbollah is willing to accept and reject, the Élysée Palace issued a detailed statement summarizing the call and outlining the key messages Macron aimed to convey to Lebanon and other parties involved.
Three Key Messages
The first message expressed “concern over the intensification of Israeli strikes on Lebanon and their tragic impact on civilians.” Naturally, Macron expressed “solidarity with the Lebanese people during this ordeal” and reaffirmed France’s commitment to “ensuring Lebanon’s safety, sovereignty, and security in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.”
The presidential statement practically conveyed that neither Hezbollah nor Israel had respected the letter or spirit of the international resolution, and that UN peacekeeping forces had been unable to fulfill their mission as mandated by the Security Council, with the same applying to the Lebanese army.
Macron reiterated France’s commitment to two things: first, keeping the French contingent of 700 troops stationed in southern Lebanon as part of UNIFIL.
The second message urged Lebanese parties to work for the “unity and stability of the country during this critical phase,” calling for a consensus on a political agenda that includes “the election of a president who guarantees national unity.” Macron stressed that France “will always stand by those who choose this path, and will continue to mobilize the international quintet (comprised of France, the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar).
Macron had previously appointed former Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian as his personal envoy to Lebanon. However, Le Drian’s mediation efforts, along with the meetings of the quintet and his communications, have not yielded any results due to internal complications and external influences.
Macron’s main attempt in the Lebanese file now is the international conference scheduled for Oct. 24 in Paris.
The third message conveyed that Paris “remains steadfast in its efforts to organize the international conference to support the Lebanese people and Lebanon’s sovereignty.” The Élysée statement clarified that the conference “will provide an opportunity to mobilize the international community to respond to the humanitarian needs of the Lebanese people and offer support to the Lebanese armed forces and internal security forces, whose role will be crucial for the country’s stability.”
As for the ceasefire, Paris is not the key actor. In an unusually frank statement, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu acknowledged France’s inability to influence Israel’s decisions. In a radio interview last week, Lecornu said: “Israel does not respond to American demands and requests, so how can France influence it?”
