French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Wednesday called on Israel to end its “illegal occupation” of Lebanese territory, warning that the country’s military strategy risks undermining regional stability, Anadolu Agency reports.
Addressing the French National Assembly, Lecornu said the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon must be respected and criticized the ongoing Israeli military operations.
“It is clear that not only must the ceasefire be respected, it is fragile, to say the least, even resembling a kind of ‘ceasefire through fire,’ which is unacceptable, but Israel must put an end to this war and to the illegal occupation it maintains on Lebanese territory,” he said.
Lecornu argued that the conflict in Lebanon cannot be separated from wider efforts to address tensions involving Iran, saying France had repeatedly warned its allies against sidelining the Lebanese issue.
“There will be no comprehensive solution to this war with Iran if the Lebanese issue is set aside,” he said, noting Hezbollah’s ties to Tehran and warning that attempts to ignore Lebanon’s role in regional dynamics had proven misguided.
