A Lebanese expatriate delegation visited the French Foreign Ministry in light of the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel, aiming to ensure Lebanon remains neutral regarding current events. The meeting took place with the Lebanon office at the ministry, where the delegation delivered an official message to French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, signed by seven organizations that are members of the Lebanese-French Coordination Committee, in partnership with the World Lebanese Cultural Union - France (WLCU) and four Lebanese sovereign parties.
The message stated: "The tragic situation in Gaza and the potential for the conflict to extend to Lebanon compel us to request strong French diplomatic intervention to protect Lebanon. Contrary to the will of the overwhelming majority of Lebanese and the supposed commitment of the Lebanese government and Resolution 1701, there is a mutual escalation on Lebanon's southern borders between Israel and Hezbollah."
The letter continued, "The Lebanese government's inaction puts its people at risk and leaves the decision of peace and war beyond its control, leading the signatories with sovereign forces in Lebanon to emphasize the necessity of implementing Security Council Resolution 1701, which was accepted by all concerned parties and has been adhered to by all successive Lebanese governments since then."
It highlighted that "to achieve this goal, the signatories request the French government to exercise its authority to prevent the conflict from spreading and assist Lebanon in recovery by: 1. Using its diplomatic power, particularly in the Security Council, to halt hostilities and avert worse outcomes, as the resumption of hostilities has violated Resolution 1701. The Security Council must intervene to ensure compliance with this resolution. 2. intervening to re-establish the weapons-free zone stipulated in the mentioned resolution. The international community has long engaged alongside Lebanon to uphold its sovereignty. The mission of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is to support the Lebanese army in forming a weapons-free zone between Lebanon and Israel, as the Lebanese army is the only entity entitled to act at the sovereign level. Simultaneously, Israel must be urged to stop violating Lebanon's sovereignty, cease its aggression against Lebanese territory, and withdraw from the Lebanese lands it still occupies. 3. Holding the Lebanese government accountable, as it continues to assert commitment to Resolution 1701 while remaining passive in exercising its role, thereby leaving the field open for various militias. Resolution 1701 is an achievement and cannot be used as a bargaining chip in discussions concerning the election of a future president. In contrast, the implementation of Security Council resolutions and the Lebanese constitution are what protect Lebanon."
The message concluded: "France will find that the majority of Lebanese are committed to this direction, despite the intimidation campaigns launched against them."
It is noteworthy that the Lebanese-French Coordination Committee (CCLF) includes seven French organizations founded by Lebanese nationals: Lebanon Change (CL), Lebanese Gathering in France (CLF), Global Lebanese Diaspora Foundation (DLO), the Lebanese Forum in Europe (FLE), Lebanese Citizens Worldwide (MCLM), Our New Lebanon - France (ONL - France), and the Lebanese Diaspora Network (TLDN-France), along with the Civil Influence Forum (CIH) as the advisory organization for the committee, and the message was issued in partnership with the World Lebanese Cultural Union - France (WLCU) and four Lebanese sovereign parties.
