France calls for Lebanon ceasefire at Paris conference

Paris (The Uttam Hindu): French President Emmanuel Macron has again called for a ceasefire in Lebanon, at the opening of the International Conference in Support of Lebanon's People and Sovereignty in Paris. "More damage, more victims, more strikes will neither put an end to terrorism nor ensure the security of all," he underlined on Thursday. The ceasefire is "a priority task," he said, adding that United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 1701 must be "fully respected and implemented by all parties" so that "our objective of peace and security can be achieved".

The French head of state said he is counting on the UN and troop contributors to ensure that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) can fulfill its mandate and support the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south. He promised that France would provide aid of 100 million euros ($108 million) to Lebanon, while the UN is seeking $426 million to help Lebanese people currently under Israeli bombardment. Meanwhile, at a press briefing after Thursday's conference, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that nearly $1 billion in pledges for aid had been collected, including $800 million for humanitarian aid and $200 million to support the Lebanese security forces.

Barrot emphasised that diplomacy will be more effective than the use of violence in building long-term security for Israel. The International Conference in Support of Lebanon's People and Sovereignty underlined the urgent need for a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, the French Foreign Ministry reported, and a diplomatic settlement based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Since the beginning of the Hezbollah-Israeli conflict on October 8, 2023, a total of 2,593 people have been killed and 12,119 others injured in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, according to a report released on Thursday by the Disaster Risk Management Unit at the Lebanese Council of Ministers.