(Credit: Olivier Matthys/AFP)
A cease-fire in Lebanon is a "necessity for our collective security," French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated on Monday, warning of the country's potential collapse and the risk of an "imminent civil war."
"Our position right now is primarily driven by the fear (...) of an imminent civil war in Lebanon," Sebastien Lecornu said during an interview on LCI television.
He mentioned displaced populations, "strong interfaith tensions," and noted that "the weakening of Hezbollah is good news, let's be clear about that."
"But you can see that Lebanon could completely collapse even further than it already has," he added.
Beyond humanitarian concerns, the international conference on Lebanon scheduled for Thursday in Paris aims to strengthen the Lebanese Army's ability to "ensure Lebanon's sovereignty," especially in the south, where Hezbollah has not withdrawn despite the demands of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has indicated that he plans to request "security assistance" for "everything related to the army and internal security forces" during the conference.
Regarding the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Sebastien Lecornu criticized that "essential security measures for operations are not always taken by the Israeli Army"
While "there is obviously some Hezbollah manipulation of these UNIFIL contingents," "UNIFIL bases were directly hit by the Israeli Army last week," he reminded.
For the French minister, "the succession of tactical victories by neutralizing a number of terrorists—who we will not mourn, to be very clear—does not automatically offer clear, long-term security prospects for the State of Israel, that's for sure."
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