Macron: 'Israel must withdraw, and the Lebanese army must retake control'

BEIRUT — French President Emmanuel Macron stated Wednesday to Al-Hadath channel that "Israeli forces must withdraw from southern Lebanon," in a declaration given a few days after U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said that the Israeli army 'will not withdraw' from the five positions occupied on Lebanese territory.

"The Lebanese Army must retake control of this entire region," Macron added, specifying: "We will continue to give increased support to the Lebanese Army." "We are working closely with the United States on the situation in Lebanon (...) a model of pluralism in the region, which goes beyond its own dimension," he said.

The French president also stated that "the Lebanese Army’s plan for a monopoly on arms will allow it to restore its authority," recalling that "France will organize a conference for Lebanon’s reconstruction."

Two weeks ago, Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji announced that he had been informed by his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, of Macron’s intention to organize two international conferences for Lebanon, "one in support of the Lebanese Army and the other dedicated to the country’s reconstruction and economic recovery, when the appropriate conditions are met."

The international community and donors are conditioning financial aid to Lebanon and its army on the implementation of economic and institutional reforms, including concrete progress toward the monopoly on arms, and thus the dismantling of Hezbollah’s arsenal.

A conference was held in Paris at the end of October 2024, at the height of the open war between the Shiite party and Israel, during which nearly a billion dollars was raised for Lebanon, about a quarter of which was allocated to the Lebanese armed forces.

'A demilitarized Palestinian state'

Regarding the Palestinian issue, two days after recognizing the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly, Macron explained that he is working on the "launch of a 'Security and Peace for All' plan" regarding Gaza, stating that it includes a cease-fire, the release of hostages, the formation of a transitional administration, and the restoration of police forces in the Palestinian enclave.

The plan also envisions the creation of an international stabilization mission.

The French head of state specified that "the international mission in Gaza will have a U.N. mandate," adding that he is working on "building a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes Israel, and no one should accept the annexation of the West Bank by Israel."

On the Iranian nuclear issue, Macron stated: "We will reimpose sanctions on Iran if the country does not allow the return of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors," judging that "Iran must prove it is not planning to obtain nuclear capabilities." He added that he is "hopeful that negotiations will resume if the Iranians act seriously."

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday from the U.N. podium that his country does not want to acquire nuclear weapons, rejecting Western accusations.

A vote Friday at the U.N., initiated by France, the United Kingdom and Germany, approved the effective restoration of international sanctions on Sep. 28, which had been lifted in 2015 during the signing of a nuclear agreement between Iran and several powers.

These three European countries and Iran each blame the other for the failure of negotiations. The U.N. Security Council’s green light for the restoration of sanctions is still a reversible decision until Sunday.

Macron finally expressed hope that "Syria and Israel will reach a security agreement," and said he expects "Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to sanction those responsible for violations."

"We are not the ones causing problems for Israel. We are afraid of Israel, not the other way around," the Syrian president said Wednesday during an event organized in New York by the American think tank Middle East Institute.

"There are many risks associated with Israel delaying negotiations and continuing to violate our airspace and enter our territory," he said. He rejected any discussion regarding the partition of his country, while Israel continues its incursions and claims to be defending the interests of the Druze minority.