Attention is drawn today to the French capital, where Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Army Commander Joseph Aoun arrived yesterday, while Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is tasked with following up on the Lebanon file, is heading to Washington. While the former fulfilled an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron, the latter traveled to attend a meeting organized by the French military authorities to discuss ways to support the army so that it can continue to perform its duties during the current exceptional phase.
A high-ranking French source told "An-Nahar" that President Macron wished to meet with Mikati and Aoun to discuss possible means to achieve calm in southern Lebanon and avoid the expansion of war within the country. The French President is closely monitoring the situation in Lebanon and the presidential election issue, conducting communications with his Arab partners and the American administration on this matter. He is also seeking to convince the Israeli side to refrain from escalating the war with Lebanon.
According to the same source, members of the Israeli military council have expressed to their French and Western visitors that they are preparing to end Hezbollah as they did with Hamas and are ready to destroy Lebanon. The newspaper "Le Monde" reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not inclined to expand the war due to American pressure not to launch a major strike on Iran.
Furthermore, during a press conference yesterday evening after the European Council meeting, President Macron announced that given the events in the Middle East, we must ensure Lebanon's stability. Therefore, the European Council decided to particularly enhance support for the Lebanese armed forces, and assistance will be provided to implement essential responses for Lebanon's economy. Responsibility for Syrian refugees will also be addressed. In this context, tomorrow (today), Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Army Commander Joseph Aoun will meet in Paris to clarify the points of this roadmap, according to "An-Nahar."
