Mikati meets Macron in France to 'find a way to put pressure on Israel'

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "continuing his efforts with the United States to reach a cease-fire and find a way to put pressure on Israel to do so," according to a statement from the press office of outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who was received at the Elysee Palace by Macron on Wednesday ahead of the conference on Lebanon scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, in Paris.

Mikati, accompanied by the head of Lebanese diplomacy Abdallah Bou Habib, thanked President Macron "for his constant support for Lebanon" and for the "efforts" made by France for a cease-fire. "Tomorrow's conference is a good sign, showing France's interest in Lebanon," added Mikati.

The priority of the international conference on Lebanon will be to respond to the U.N.'s appeal for more than $400 million in aid for displaced people, the Elysee Palace said on Wednesday. The unprecedented escalation led by Israel in Lebanon since Sept. 23 has caused the displacement of more than 1.4 million people.

On Oct. 1, U.N. agencies launched an appeal for more than $400 million for urgent aid to populations displaced by Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. "The priority is to be able to respond to this appeal," the Elysee Palace said. "We have worked to try to generate the maximum possible contributions," it added, specifying that President Macron would make an announcement on the aid provided by France.