Élysée special envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, in Ain al-Tineh, on Sept. 11, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L’Orient-Le Jour)
French President Emmanuel Macron's special envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said Wednesday that the "only solution to ending the conflict in Lebanon is through negotiation," according to a statement reported by Reuters.
"Israel occupied Lebanon for a very long time and failed to eradicate Hezbollah's military capacity. Therefore, they cannot now ask the Lebanese government to do that job in three days under bombardment," he said. He also said that "the Israeli response is disproportionate and is causing a humanitarian crisis with the displacement of a large number of Lebanese."
Le Drian's statements come as the Israeli army targeted the heart of Beirut several times overnight and on Wednesday morning, as well as south Lebanon, where an advance by Israeli vehicles was observed near the locality of Maroun al-Ras in the Bint Jbeil district.
In response to this escalation in Lebanon, France has offered to facilitate direct discussions between Lebanon and Israel and to host them in Paris.
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