French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his view that Israel cannot disarm "Hezbollah," and that Israeli military operations on the ground and airstrikes in Lebanon are unacceptable under international law and do not serve the long-term security interests of either Lebanon or Israel. He noted that similar operations were carried out by Israel a few years ago with no results.

Macron also stated that France is working to support the Lebanese government in finding a solution and has taken steps, in coordination with the United States, to encourage both sides to engage in dialogue.

On the Lebanese side, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s refusal to appoint a new delegation for negotiations with Israel—including a representative from the Shiite community—represents a major obstacle, according to diplomatic sources. These sources report that, while Berri did not oppose the principle of negotiation, he told the French minister that he sees no need to form a delegation representing various sects. He noted that there is a specific negotiator, Simon Karam, already assigned, and that expanding the talks to a team representing multiple sects is unnecessary. After all, can negotiations realistically be conducted with a group including representatives from 18 different sects?

Paris supports any Lebanese framework for negotiations in this regard, but its efforts have not yet resulted in a ceasefire. Separately, Barrot’s visit to Beirut prompted an increase in France’s humanitarian aid, raising it to 17 million euros.