BEIRUT: French leader Emmanuel Macron is slated to visit Lebanon on Friday, both countries said, in the second such trip by a head of state since Lebanon elected a president last week.
The office of new Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he met with the French ambassador to Beirut on Tuesday to discuss preparations for Macron’s visit. Macron’s office confirmed the date.
The trip comes after Lebanese lawmakers on Thursday elected Aoun president after two years of the position being vacant, under international pressure including from former colonial power France.
On Monday, Aoun named judge and diplomat Nawaf Salam as prime minister, giving him the tricky task of forming a cabinet to save the nation from five years of blistering economic crisis.
Macron’s office said the French president hoped to mark “the unwavering commitment of France to support Lebanon, its sovereignty and unity.”
Macron visited the country twice after a massive explosion at Beirut’s port in 2020 killed more than 220 people and decimated half the city.
His latest trip comes after a ceasefire in November, announced by Macron and US President Joe Biden, ended two months of all-out war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Under that deal, the Lebanese army has 60 days to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south of Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws.
At the same time, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in the country’s south.
A committee composed of Israeli, Lebanese, French and US delegates, alongside a representative from UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL, has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of the deal.
“The trip will also be the occasion to work on the implementation of the ceasefire... and to reiterate France’s commitment toward this within UNIFIL,” his office said.
Macron said on Monday said Salam’s appointment of Salam represented “hope for change” in Lebanon.
Macron’s office said he hoped Salam’s government could be both “strong” and “represent all the diversity of the Lebanese people.”
A Paris conference on aid for Lebanon in October raised around $800 million for humanitarian aid in the Mediterranean country.
France’s Macron to visit Lebanon this week
https://arab.news/9yqra
France’s Macron to visit Lebanon this week
- On Monday, Aoun named judge and diplomat Nawaf Salam as prime minister
Israel army ‘temporarily suspends’ strike on south Lebanon
- The Israeli military issued a warning earlier on Saturday announcing an imminent strike and warning people in the Yanuh area of south Lebanon to evacuate immediately
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it would “temporarily” suspend a strike planned for Saturday that was intended to target what it described as Hezbollah military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
A November 2024 ceasefire sought to end over a year of fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group, which broke out after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.
But Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite the truce, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure to stop the group from rearming.
The Israeli military issued a warning earlier on Saturday announcing an imminent strike and warning people in the Yanuh area of south Lebanon to evacuate immediately.
But later Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said “the strike was temporarily suspended,” adding that the military “continues to monitor the target.”
The suspension came after the Lebanese army “requested access again to the specified site... and to address the breach of the agreement,” he said on X.
Adraee added that the military would “not allow” Hezbollah to “redeploy or rearm.”
The year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism includes the United Nations, the United States and France.
A Lebanese security source said the army had previously tried to search the building that the Israeli military wanted to target but could not because of objections from residents.
But the source told AFP that the Lebanese army was able to enter and search the building after returning a second time, because residents “felt threatened,” adding that they were evacuated over fears of a strike.
