2024-07-06 01:49:46
French President Emmanuel Macron called on leader Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent a “big fire” between Israel and Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon during a phone call between the two leaders.
Macron “reiterated his grave concern about the deepening tensions between Hezbollah and Israel… and stressed the absolute need to prevent a ‘big fire’ that would harm the interests of Lebanon as well as Israel,” the French president said in a statement.
He also insisted on the “urgent need for all sides to move quickly toward a diplomatic solution” to end the conflict triggered by the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists.
“The two leaders discussed the diplomatic efforts being made to achieve this,” the Elysee Palace said in a statement ahead of a visit to Paris on Wednesday by US envoy for the conflict, Amos Hochstein.
Hochstein is due to meet Macron’s envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, after he visited Israel and Lebanon in June to try to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.
Macron also called on Netanyahu to refrain from any “new operation” in Gaza in the Rafah or Khan Younis area, “which would only worsen the human toll and the humanitarian situation, which is already catastrophic,” the Elysee Palace said in a statement.
Macron and Netanyahu also discussed the latest “developments” in Iran’s nuclear program, in particular reports of “the installation of new centrifuges” for enriching uranium.
In mid-June, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Tehran was continuing to expand its nuclear capabilities, and Western countries fear Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons after the United States withdrew from a 2015 deal to curb its nuclear program.
The IAEA said Tehran had significantly expanded its nuclear programme and now has enough material to build several atomic bombs, although Iran says it is doing so for peaceful purposes only.
“France, together with its partners, intends to continue to exert pressure on the Iranian government, which must comply with its international obligations and fully cooperate with the IAEA,” Macron’s office said in a statement.
Earlier, Cursor wrote that Shikli revealed which candidate Netanyahu supports in the elections in France.