France: Lebanese Must Stay Away from the Conflict Between Israel and Hamas

The French presidency announced today, Saturday, that Lebanese citizens and "Hezbollah" must "remain aloof from the conflict" between Israel and Hamas, expressing "serious concern" about the tense situation along the Lebanon-Israel border. It stated, "Hezbollah and the Lebanese must commit to the duty of restraint to avoid opening a second front in the region, which would see Lebanon as the first victim." The French presidency confirmed that Iran must "refrain from escalating tensions and stop providing operational support to Hamas," while also noting that it does not have "specific information regarding Iran's involvement in the attack launched by Hamas on Israel." The Élysée reported that "Iran has a role that can be extremely negative in the current situation, but it can also play a positive role by refraining from intervening to avoid regional escalation." It is worth noting that the French Foreign Minister will visit Beirut on Monday to discuss the situation in the south.