PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Israel to halt its ground offensive in Lebanon and called on the Iran-backed group Hezbollah to immediately stop its attacks.
“Hezbollah made a major mistake in dragging Lebanon into a confrontation with Israel. It must immediately cease its attack,” Macron said in a post on X.
“For its part, Israel must clearly renounce any ground offensive in Lebanon,” he added.
Macron, who has repeatedly warned against the risk of a broader regional conflict, made the remarks after speaking with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
I had a lengthy conversation with the presidents of Lebanon and Syria.
I am pleased that France is contributing to and participating in these discussions as equal partners, in a new spirit of partnership that Lebanon and Syria now wish to build.
This is truly a historic…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 11, 2026
According to AFP, Lebanon was drawn deeper into the Middle East war earlier this month when Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel following the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the opening wave of US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Israel had already been conducting strikes in Lebanon despite a 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah. Since the war escalated, Israeli forces have carried out air raids across the country and deployed ground troops near the border in response to Hezbollah’s drone and rocket attacks.
Lebanese authorities say the Israeli offensive has so far killed 634 people, including 91 children.
The Israeli military said late Wednesday that it had launched another wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Beirut, a stronghold of the group.
Israel vowed to act with “great force” after reporting that Hezbollah had fired rockets toward Israeli territory.
