88 francophone countries call for ‘immediate’ ceasefire in Lebanon

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that 88 predominantly French-speaking countries have collectively called for an “immediate” ceasefire in Lebanon.

Speaking at the 19th Francophonie Summit in Paris, Macron also said the group had approved an international conference to support Lebanon, which will take place later this month.

“We expressed our solidarity with Lebanon. We unanimously called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and reaffirmed our commitment to de-escalating tensions in the region. We want peace and security for all,” Macron said.

Those comments are in response to an Israeli ground operation into Lebanon, launched at the end of September to take out Hezbollah positions close to the Israeli border.

Hezbollah and Israel have traded almost daily cross-border fire since the war in Gaza erupted late last year. Those strikes have displaced thousands of people on both sides of the border.

And since Israel launched its offensive into Lebanon, at least 1,400 people, including civilians, medics and Hezbollah fighters, have been killed and 1.2 million driven from their homes in less than two weeks.

Macron’s comments were echoed by Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Ziad Makary who said that Beirut was still “asking for a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution” despite the ongoing Israeli strikes and the recent assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

“They [the Israelis] don’t have red lines. They never had red lines. They didn’t have red lines in Gaza and they won’t have red lines in Lebanon. But in Lebanon, militarily speaking, it will be harder on them to enter and they are also paying a big price,” he said on the sidelines of the summit.

But Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted Macron’s comments, particularly his suggestion that France might suspend arms sales to Israel to prevent weapons being used in Gaza, saying Israel was defending itself on seven fronts.

“As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side. Yet President Macron and other western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. Shame on them. Is Iran imposing an arms embargo on Hezbollah, on the Houthis, on Hamas and on its other proxies? Of course not. This axis of terror stands together,” he said.

Meanwhile, thousands of protesters took to the streets of the French capital in support of both Lebanon and Gaza and to criticise French arms sales to Israel.

“The message is ‘stop being complicit’ as governments continue to deliver weapons and provide unconditional diplomatic support to Israel. The result is visible now. Israel has extended its murderous war against the people of the region and so today is also about showing support for the Lebanese people that is faced, like the Palestinian people, with the Israeli war machine,” said leader of the Urgence Palestine collective, Omar Alsoumi.

France has been a key supporter of Israel, defending its right to self-defence for years.

An arms export report presented to parliament by the Defence Ministry in July 2023 showed that France had issued 767 export licenses to Israel since 2015.

France sells an average of €20 million worth of military equipment to Israel each year.

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In April, 11 NGOs in Paris, including Amnesty International, filed a court case to stop France’s arms sales to Israel, arguing that civilians in Gaza were targeted.

The court rejected that request in May.