The Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, was received on Tuesday at the Élysée by Emmanuel Macron. The French president pleaded for an agreement between Israel and Hezbollah which would guarantee "the territorial integrity of Lebanon", ensuring that Israel must "renounce its territorial aims". The French president added that Hezbollah must be disarmed "by the Lebanese."

Published on: 04/21/2026 - 08:10 Modified on: 04/21/2026 - 20:50

On Tuesday April 21, Emmanuel Macron received the Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam. While new direct negotiations are planned for Thursday in Washington between Israel and Lebanon, the ceasefire remains fragile on the ground, with both parties accusing each other of violating a truce that entered into force last Friday between Israel and pro-Iranian Hezbollah.

This meeting was to allow Paris to "reaffirm its commitment to strict compliance with the ceasefire, France's support for the territorial integrity of Lebanon as well as the steps taken by the Lebanese State to fully guarantee its sovereignty and arms monopoly", the presidency had specified in a press release published before the meeting between the two leaders.

At the end of the interview at the Élysée, during a joint press conference, Emmanuel Macron pleaded for an agreement between Israel and Hezbollah which would guarantee "the territorial integrity of Lebanon", ensuring that Israel must "renounce its territorial aims". The French president added that Hezbollah must be disarmed "by the Lebanese."

The Lebanese Prime Minister, for his part, called for the "total withdrawal" of Israeli forces, but also the return of prisoners and displaced Lebanese people, as part of the negotiations initiated with Israel.

Paris ready to stay “engaged”

The two leaders also repeatedly discussed the need to change the methods of intervention of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The French president assured that France was "ready to maintain its commitment on the ground" in the event of the departure of the UN force.

Nawaf Salam for his part declared that there would be no third version of UNIFIL, while emphasizing the need to maintain a UN framework, necessary to guarantee international order in Lebanon.

The 15 members of the UN Security Council condemned the attack which killed a French peacekeeper in Lebanon on Saturday, calling for those responsible "to be brought to justice without delay". The French president and the UN blame Hezbollah.

A new official report has reported 2,454 deaths in Lebanon in six weeks of war with Israel.

With AFP

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