France on Saturday called on Israel to stop striking Lebanon, as the killing of the head of Hezbollah sparked fears of a widening war in the Middle East.

Speaking with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Paris wanted “an immediate halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon” and was “opposed to any ground operation”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

France also “calls on other actors, notably Hezbollah and Iran, to abstain from any action that could lead to additional destabilization and regional conflagration”.

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