Macron expresses disapproval towards Israel's ground operations in Lebanon.
After repeated assaults by Hezbollah, Israel retaliated a few days ago by striking in southern Lebanon. This action didn't sit well with French President Emmanuel Macron. France and the U.S. had proposed a truce, but Israel disregarded it. Macron's response was swift and firm.
During a press conference in Paris, Macron strongly denounced Israel's actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon. He particularly condemned the Israeli Army's ground invasion in Lebanon that started at the beginning of the week. Macron expressed disappointment that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had chosen a different path, referring to the 21-day ceasefire proposal made by France and the U.S.
At the press conference, which marked the end of a summit of French-speaking countries, Macron declared that the 88 nations had collectively called for an "immediate and lasting ceasefire" between Israel and Hezbollah.
Macron also announced that France would host an international donors' conference for Lebanon in October. The conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
France Refusing to Provide Weapons to Israel
Before this, Macron had called for an international halt to weapons deliveries to Israel used in the Gaza Strip on the radio station France Inter. "France is not supplying [weapons]," Macron said. He emphasized the need to return to a "political solution" and to halt weapons deliveries "for the conflicts in the Gaza Strip."
Netanyahu reacted angrily to Macron's call for a weapons embargo. "While Israel fights the barbaric forces led by Iran, all civilized nations should stand firmly by Israel's side," he said. However, Macron and other Western leaders were demanding weapons embargos against Israel - "shame on them," Netanyahu added.
Macron reiterated France's support for Israel's security during the press conference, saying, "France is solidarity with Israel's security."
Macron to Meet with Hostage Families
Macron announced that he would meet with the families of French-Israeli hostages at the Élysée Palace on Monday, the anniversary of Hamas's large-scale attack on Israel that ignited the Gaza War.
According to Israeli figures, around 1,205 people were killed in Hamas's large-scale attack on Israel. Additionally, Hamas took 251 people as hostages into the Gaza Strip. 97 hostages are still being held, of whom 33 have been officially declared dead by Israel.
Since Hamas's attack, Israel has been conducting large-scale military operations in the Gaza Strip. According to figures from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 41,800 people have been killed so far.
Immediately after the Hamas attack, Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia, opened a second front against Israel with regular rocket attacks. In recent days, Hezbollah's shelling of Israel has increased, especially after the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in a suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut last week.
Furthermore, Iran itself launched around 200 rockets at Israel on Tuesday evening; this was the second direct Iranian attack on Israel in six months. According to Israeli reports, most of the rockets were intercepted. Tehran claimed the attack was a response, among other things, to the killing of Nasrallah. After the rocket attack, Israel threatened Iran with retaliation.
The refugees fleeing the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah have sought refuge in various parts of Lebanon. France, in its response to Israel's actions, called for an international halt to weapons deliveries to Israel used in conflict zones.
