France mobilizes for Lebanon: support conference announced

The Élysée Palace has announced that France will “very shortly be organizing a conference in support of the Lebanese people and its institutions”. This initiative comes against a regional backdrop of high tensions in the Middle East, to which President Emmanuel Macron has reacted with firmness.

At a National Defense and Security Council meeting on October 1, 2024, the head of state strongly condemned “Iran’s new attacks against Israel” and urged “all the players involved to show the utmost restraint”. France has also mobilized its military resources in the region in response to the Iranian threat.

Call for de-escalation and support for Israel

Seeking to calm the situation, Emmanuel Macron demanded that “Hezbollah cease its terrorist actions against Israel and its population”, while reiterating France’s commitment to the security of the Hebrew state. At the same time, he called on the Israeli authorities to “put an end as soon as possible” to their military operations in Lebanon, underlining their concern at the growing number of civilian casualties.

French diplomacy in action

To reinforce these efforts, Emmanuel Macron has instructed Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to return to the Middle East. Following on from his recent visit to Beirut, the Minister’s mission is to consult the key players in order to pave the way for rapid de-escalation.

A climate of extreme tension

These declarations come after an escalation of violence: Iran launched some 200 missiles at Israel in retaliation for the deaths of Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas leaders. Israeli strikes, for their part, have caused hundreds of deaths in Lebanon in recent days. Faced with this situation, Israel and the United States have warned that a response to the Iranian attack is not out of the question.

Through this support conference, France is reaffirming its commitment to the stability of Lebanon and its institutions, while calling on the parties involved to show restraint and engage in dialogue to avoid a further escalation of violence.