The head of French diplomacy, Jean-Noël Barrot, landed in Lebanon this Sunday evening, while Israeli strikes continue, particularly on the southern suburbs of Beirut. On his arrival, he announced that France had handed over 12 tonnes of medical equipment to Lebanon, a donation which he said would enable the treatment of “one thousand seriously injured”.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs plans to “exchange with local authorities and provide French support, particularly humanitarian support”, according to his entourage. He will hold several meetings on Monday with Lebanese and UN officials.
Upon the minister’s arrival, the Quai d’Orsay announced that a second Frenchman had died in Lebanon following massive Israeli bombings, in circumstances not yet specified. On Thursday, the ministry announced that an 87-year-old woman had died in a “strong explosion” in the south of the country.
Thursday in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Jean-Noël Barrot met the Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and his Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib. He had promised them to go to Lebanon.
The minister will meet in turn, on Monday, the Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, the Prime Minister, the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army, the President of the Parliamentary Chamber and will have lunch with the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). A moment with the French community of Beirut is also planned at the end of the day.
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France demanded on Saturday, the day of the announcement of the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah victim of an Israeli strike, “the immediate cessation of Israeli strikes in Lebanon”, indicating that it was “opposed to any ground operation” in the country. . A message transmitted by the minister to Najib Mikati, Prime Minister of Lebanon, during a telephone conversation.
On Saturday, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier described the situation as “extremely serious” and said he was “concerned about the safety” of the French people there. It is estimated that more than 23,000 French people live in Lebanon, including 21,500 French people and rights holders registered on consular lists. For the moment, no call to leave the country has been made for French nationals, unlike in the Philippines or Thailand.
