French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated on Monday that Hezbollah bears significant responsibility for dragging Lebanon into a war with its neighbor Israel, which threatens to destabilize the region.
"In Lebanon, violence threatens to plunge a very fragile country into lasting chaos, further endangering Israel's security," Barrot told a press conference during his visit to Jerusalem, adding that "Hezbollah bears a heavy responsibility for this situation, having dragged Lebanon into a war that it did not choose."
France believes that "force alone cannot be enough to guarantee Israel's security," Barrot said during the visit. "The time for diplomacy has come."
While attending a ceremony to commemorate the October 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel, Barrot is scheduled to meet with his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, before heading to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. He will also make a statement in Reims in the presence of the families of the French victims of the October 7 attack.
With AFP
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