France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu met with French peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Monday, emphasizing the dangerous nature of UNIFIL’s mission, situated at the heart of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lecornu visited the Deir Kifa base in southern Lebanon, where he held discussions with Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun and French military personnel deployed as part of the UN peacekeeping mission.
“This mission can potentially become very dangerous,” Lecornu stated in front of approximately 700 French soldiers before sharing a New Year’s meal with them.
“Our passage is going to be filled with uncertainties in the weeks and days to come,” he added, under a tent set up on the base, about 10 kilometers from the border between Israel and Lebanon.
Daily exchanges of fire occur in this region between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, which has lost more than 100 fighters since October 8.
Lecornu and the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army, Joseph Aoun, discussed the UN mission and the ways in which “it could continue to be carried out in a deteriorating situation, especially to protect Lebanese and UNIFIL soldiers.”
General Aoun emphasized the importance of cooperation between the army and UNIFIL within the framework of UN Resolution 1701, especially during the current exceptional circumstances.
He also highlighted the efforts of the French personnel and all UNIFIL members, praising their professionalism and sacrifices in performing their duties.
Before heading back to Paris, Lecornu will have another meeting with General Aoun on Tuesday to discuss the aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces proposed by France, including the planned delivery of several armored vehicles.
In November, France announced that it would deliver the first batch of aid in the form of nearly three tons of medication to the Lebanese forces.
Paris aims to avoid an escalation at the Lebanese-Israeli border, and in this regard, French Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna and her counterpart from the Ministry of Defense have visited Lebanon several times since October 7.
