Paris, Oct 16 (EFE).- French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed France’s support for the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon during a tense phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday.
The conversation focused on “the absolute need for a ceasefire in Lebanon without delay” with Macron urging Netanyahu “to halt the ongoing operations,” according to a statement from the Elysée.
The French president “condemned the indiscriminate Israeli strikes, which are further worsening the already unbearable human toll in Gaza and Lebanon,” the statement said.
“France, together with the United States, had proposed a 21-day ceasefire to pave the way for a final settlement on the Blue Line,” said the statement referring to the de facto border between Israel and Lebanon.
Macron insisted on returning to this diplomatic route, “the only one capable of addressing Israel’s security concerns.”
The French president also responded to Netanyahu’s calls for a “temporary” withdrawal of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a move rejected by the United Nations.
Macron stressed that France would continue to work to ensure UNIFIL’s full operation, expressing outrage over injuries sustained by peacekeepers during Israeli attacks.
“The UNIFIL is a key element of credibility for resolving the crisis in southern Lebanon. UNIFIL’s presence benefits the security of both Israel and Lebanon.”
During the call, Macron condemned Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel but warned against a regional escalation that could have devastating consequences for regional and international security.
Macron expressed concern over the rising civilian death toll from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.
“The president stressed that a ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible to secure the release of all hostages, protect civilians, and ensure unrestricted humanitarian access.”
He expressed regret that the access for aid has been severely limited since the offensive on Rafah.
Macron expressed “deep concern” over the situation in the West Bank, “particularly the violence against civilians, notably by settlers, and the accelerated expansion of settlements.”
The conversation followed reports from French media that Macron had reminded his cabinet on Tuesday that Israel “must not forget its creation was the result of a UN decision.”
Netanyahu’s responded swiftly via a statement from his office, emphasizing that Israel’s establishment was not the result of a UN decision but rather the outcome of its “victory that was achieved in the War of Independence with the blood of our heroic fighters, many of whom were Holocaust survivors, including from the Vichy regime in France.”
“It would also be worthwhile to recall that in recent decades, the UN has approved hundreds of antisemitic decisions against the state of Israel, the purpose of which is to deny the one and only Jewish state’s right to exist and its ability to defend itself,” Netanyahu’s office said. EFE
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