French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday his country would support Lebanon with 100 million euros, as Paris hosted an aid conference with big financial aims but slim diplomatic prospects.
“The war must end as soon as possible, there must be a ceasefire in Lebanon,” Macron said sitting alongside the country’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
The Lebanese government chief in turn called on “the international community to hold together and support efforts… to implement an immediate ceasefire”.
France has set a target of raising half a billion euros ($540 million) in aid for Lebanon, 100 million more than an initial UN appeal.
As well as its financial contribution, Macron said Paris would “contribute to equipping the Lebanese army” to re-establish control of the country’s south in line with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which sealed the end of the last Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006.
Paris is also seeking an increase in humanitarian aid for a country to which it has historic ties and which has a large diaspora in France.
The latest conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah has so far claimed more than 1,550 lives, according to an AFP tally based on official figures, and displaced 800,000 people according to the UN.
Israel launched a ground offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in late September, having exchanged fire over the border for a year following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack.
Hezbollah must “stop its provocations… and indiscriminate strikes” against Israel, Macron said.
But Israel “knows from experience that its military successes do not necessarily represent victory in Lebanon,” Macron said.
Israel has eliminated Hezbollah leaders over recent weeks.
“I’m not sure that you can defend a civilisation by sowing barbarism yourself,” Macron added.
Hopes for diplomatic progress in Paris may be stymied by the absence of Iran and Israel, who were not among the 70 countries and 15 international organisations invited, while the US was represented only by a deputy to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Three-pronged push
Macron opened the conference following a one-on-one meeting Wednesday with Lebanon’s Mikati, while Germany and Canada have sent their foreign ministers Annalena Baerbock and Melanie Joly.
Germany said Thursday that it would contribute 96 million euros to the humanitarian aid appeal, while Britain pledged at least 15 million pounds ($20 million).
Speaking remotely, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on participants to “strengthen their support to (Lebanon’s) state institutions, including the Lebanese armed forces”.
Host France is pushing for progress on three fronts — diplomacy, humanitarian aid and Lebanon’s domestic politics.
Paris has pushed, alongside the United States, for a 21-day ceasefire to give space to negotiate a more lasting truce.
Diplomacy offers “the only viable solution for Lebanon as well as for Israel”, where 60,000 people have also fled their homes, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
The limited US presence and lack of Israeli or Iranian participation limits prospects for progress.
“Anything that does not bring about an immediate end to the destruction and killing would make this summit a failure,” said Bachir Ayoub, aid group Oxfam’s Lebanon chief.
Oxfam was among over 150 aid groups to denounce on Thursday “flagrant disregard for international law by the international community” over Israel’s military actions in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.
“Without accountability, there will be no red lines,” they added.
Back to 2006
UN Development Program chief Achim Steiner warned that Lebanon’s economy was “beginning to collapse under the pressure of this conflict,” predicting a contraction of more than nine percent this year if the war continues.
That could hamper efforts to build up Lebanon’s institutions and especially its armed forces, “to preserve the country’s unity, stability and sovereignty” as France’s Barrot hoped.
“Resolution 1701… remains the cornerstone of stability and security in southern Lebanon,” Mikati said, echoing France’s view.
As well as stipulating that the only armed forces on Lebanon’s border with Israel should be UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army, 1701 says no foreign forces should enter Lebanon without the government’s consent.
Conference participants may offer training, equipment and funding to keep the Lebanese army functioning and allow new recruitment so it is strong enough to do its job.
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