As the artillery exchanges between Hezbollah and the Israeli army on the southern border intensify, diplomatic contacts at both Lebanese and Western levels are being stepped up to avoid a situation that could plunge Lebanon into the Israeli-Palestinian inferno.
Beirut has been at the center of intense diplomatic activity since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel. Representatives of several states came to warn Lebanon against any behavior that might unwillingly draw the country into the ongoing war, should Hezbollah decide to get involved.
French President Emmanuel Macron revealed on Friday evening that France had sent messages to Hezbollah to avoid escalation.
France has “very directly” sent messages of moderation and de-escalation to the Lebanese Hezbollah to dissuade it from entering the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas, he told a few journalists.
“We have sent messages very directly to Hezbollah through our ambassador and our services. We have also passed them on to the Lebanese authorities,” he said. “There has been some rocket fire, but there has been no escalation today. But we remain very cautious. We send these messages of moderation every day,” added Macron, who did not rule out a trip to the Middle East in the coming days.
In the afternoon, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati received a phone call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday, while German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, on an official visit to Beirut, joined her American, French, British and other Western counterparts in insisting that Lebanon should stay out of the ongoing military conflict in Gaza.
Baerbock met with the caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, the caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, and the Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun. She emphasized the “need to avoid miscalculations” and called for Lebanon to “stay as far away as possible from the conflict” between Hamas and Gaza, referring to Hezbollah’s artillery fire on Israel.
Prime Minister Mikati informed the German Minister of his efforts to “restore calm in southern Lebanon” and called for “pressure on Israel to end its aggression against Lebanon.” He also highlighted the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Bou Habib agreed with Baerbock that “implementing the solution of establishing two states in Israel is the gateway to resolving the current conflict in Gaza.” He counts on Germany’s influence in Europe and the world to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and allow aid convoys into the enclave. He also warned of the repercussions of this conflict, not only on the security of the region but also on that of Europe and the world.
Meanwhile, the French Minister of Defense, Sébastien Lecornu, contacted his Lebanese counterpart, Maurice Slim, to reiterate the same message, “Lebanon must remain shielded from the consequences of the conflict taking place on Palestinian territory.” He emphasized that Lebanon “remains a central issue for France” and stressed the importance of the role of UNIFIL in the South and the need to “avoid any escalation.”
At the same time, the UK’s Chief of Defense Staff for the Middle East and North Africa, Marshal Martin Sampson, concluded a two-day visit to Lebanon as part of a regional tour including Egypt and Jordan. Sampson, who met with General Joseph Aoun and Najib Mikati, reaffirmed the “unwavering support of the UK for the Lebanese and the regular forces” and reiterated the UK’s position that Lebanon should not be dragged into a regional conflict.
