Israel is opposed to a “unilateral ceasefire” in its war with Hezbollah, the country’s leader told his French counterpart, claiming it would only return the security situation in Lebanon “to what it was before.”
The call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday comes as tensions have escalated between the two leaders following calls by Macron to end arms exports to Israel and reach a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.
Netanyahu made clear to Macron “that Israel will not accept any arrangement” that stops it from operating against Hezbollah to prevent threats to residents of northern Israel, his office said.
Some background: Hezbollah and Israel have been in conflict for decades – but the two have ramped up their cross-border attacks on each other since last October, when Israel’s war in Gaza began following the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel.
The leaders’ call also comes after France summoned Israel’s ambassador to protest Israeli troops firing at UN peacekeeping positions in southern Lebanon, Reuters reported. The Israeli military has accused Hezbollah of operating in areas near UNIFIL posts.
In the call, Macron also condemned those incidents and said France would continue to work with other countries to fully implement the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission.
Paris conference: Later this month, France is set to hold an international meeting to rally support for the Lebanese people and strengthen the country’s security situation.