The commander of UNIFIL, Diodato Abagnara, paying final tribute to French soldier Florian Montorio at Beirut airport, April 20, 2026. (Credit: X/@UNIFIL)
After the killing on Saturday of Chief Sergeant Florian Montorio, a member of the French contingent serving with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, French President Emmanuel Macron was quick to blame it on Hezbollah.On Monday, Macron reiterated his position. While stressing that France was “not specifically targeted” in this incident, he reiterated his accusations against Hezbollah.Against this backdrop, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam travelled to Paris on Tuesday for talks with Macron. The visit is part of France’s broader support for Lebanon, including on the issue of state monopoly over arms. However, Saturday’s incident was also discussed during the meeting, with Salam updating the French president on the progress of the investigation.The incident on Saturday occurred as a patrol from the UNIFIL...
After the killing on Saturday of Chief Sergeant Florian Montorio, a member of the French contingent serving with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, French President Emmanuel Macron was quick to blame it on Hezbollah.On Monday, Macron reiterated his position. While stressing that France was “not specifically targeted” in this incident, he reiterated his accusations against Hezbollah.Against this backdrop, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam travelled to Paris on Tuesday for talks with Macron. The visit is part of France’s broader support for Lebanon, including on the issue of state monopoly over arms. However, Saturday’s incident was also discussed during the meeting, with Salam updating the French president on the progress of the investigation.The incident on Saturday occurred as a patrol from the...
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