French Envoy Meets With Hezbollah Reps In Bid To Reduce Tensions

A high-level French diplomat met with Hezbollah representatives on Tuesday amid escalating tensions at the Israel-Lebanon border, Hebrew media reported.

“Jean-Yves Le Drian, former French foreign minister and President Emmanuel Macron’s envoy for Lebanese affairs, conveyed an indirect message from Israel that it is not interested in an escalation,” said Maariv.

Paris pledged to intervene following a visit to the French capital on July 20 by Israeli Foreign Minister and author Eli Cohen in which he asked France to help stop Hezbollah “provocations” at the Lebanese border.

“Excellent meeting with the French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. We discussed the fight against the Iranian nuclear program, the expansion of the Abraham Accords, and I asked her to use France’s influence in Lebanon to stop Hezbollah‘s provocations that endanger regional stability,” said Cohen after the meeting.

Also on Tuesday, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan filed an official complaint against Lebanon to the Security Council, demanding that the Lebanese government and the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission take immediate action to prevent Hezbollah military entrenchment at the border.

“The results could be devastating and cause a disaster,” he warned.

The Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group has carried out a series of hostile acts at the border with Israel in recent months, including setting up a manned outpost in April a few meters on the Israeli side of the Blue Line but beyond the Israeli security fence. The position, located across from an IDF post, was reportedly manned by three to eight armed terrorists.

Produced in association with Jewish News Syndicate

Edited by Judy J. Rotich and Newsdesk Manager