Lebanese leader Mikati lobbies Paris conference in bid to avoid war spiralling

Lebanon is in mortal danger, says senior French official as Brig Gen Youssef Haddad represents the country's army

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Elysee Palace in Paris. EPA

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Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Thursday that his country risked “total destruction” as he called for international support at a conference in Paris.

“I come to you with a heavy heart to shed light on the ongoing aggression by Israel on Lebanon,” Mr Mikati told representatives of more than 50 countries invited to the conference.

“This storm is not like the others because it carries the seed of the total destruction not only of my country but also of the values of all humanity,” Mr Mikati added, speaking shortly after Israeli bombs pummeled Beirut.

Lebanon wants the international community to send emergency support, help implement an immediate ceasefire, and back the posting of 8,000 Lebanese soldiers south of the Litani river, said Mr Mikati.

Reiterating his calls for a ceasefire, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged €100 million ($108 million) for Lebanon. The conference's organisers hope to at least match a UN appeal for $426 million in aid. Germany has announced €96 million ($104 million) in aid, while Ireland on Wednesday said it would give €2 million ($2.1 million).

More pledges are expected from countries attending the conference, which include the UAE's Minister of State Noura Al Kaabi and Saudi Arabia's deputy minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed El Khereiji.

Hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough are low as neither Israel nor Iran have been invited. Israel has reportedly recently hardened its demands, requesting continued access to Lebanese airspace and the creation of a buffer zone in the south of the country, in addition to the withdrawal of Hezbollah. The Iran-backed group last year intensified attacks against Israel in solidarity with Hamas.

More than 2,500 people have been killed in Lebanon under Israeli bombs, while 1.3 million have been displaced.

Special focus was given at the conference to the Lebanese army, which was represented by Brig Gen Youssef Haddad. Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, Industry Minister George Bouchikian and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin were also present.

Both France and Lebanon called for the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war. It required the full withdrawal of Hezbollah from southern Lebanon and for Israel to stop violating Lebanese airspace – neither was ever executed.

“The full implementation of 1701 from both Lebanon and Israel will safeguard Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and provide a security on our southern borders that can allow displaced communities to return to their regions,” said Mr Mikati.

Recruitment of soldiers

There is hope that the Lebanese army can strengthen its presence in southern Lebanon after a ceasefire and a withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters. In addition to accelerating the army's posting, Lebanon and France have called for the recruitment of at least 6,000 new soldiers. The Lebanese cabinet has already greenlighted the hiring of 1,500 men.

“The decision to recruit more soldiers is a significant step towards enhancing capacity of Lebanese Armed Forces to obtain security and stability in the region,” said Mr Mikati.

The border between Israel and Lebanon is patrolled by the UN, which has come under attack from Israel in a move that has led to widespread condemnation.

Yet transforming young recruits into professional soldiers necessitates long-term financial and human investments, said Brig Gen Haddad. The army will also have to clear rubble caused by Israeli bombing and create a secure environment to bring humanitarian aid to civilians.

A strong army will also protect Lebanon from a civil war, added Brig Gen Haddad, a risk that French officials have highlighted several times this week. “Lebanon is in mortal danger,” France's envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian warned in the run-up to the conference.

Israeli strikes have largely targeted and displaced the country's Shiite population, which overwhelmingly supports Hezbollah. A number of Shiite villages near the border have been emptied and destroyed by Israel's offensive Israel.

Lebanon also houses a significant Sunni Muslim and Christian population, some of which are hostile to Hezbollah. The group was the only militia to keep its weapons at the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

“We have two challenges,” said Brig Gen Haddad. “While having an eye on the south, we have an eye on the interior of the country, on social and intercommunity cohesion which is the main pillar of the Lebanese army,” he said.

Mr Macron also criticised both Hezbollah and Israel, which launched a bombing campaign and a land incursion in southern Lebanon in late September after the Iran-backed group last year increased its attacks against Israel in solidarity with Hamas.

“I bitterly regret that Iran has engaged Hezbollah against Israel while Lebanon's higher interest required it to stay away from the war in Gaza,” Mr Macron said. ”

“I bitterly regret that Israel continues its military operations in Lebanon, in the south in Beirut and elsewhere, and that the number of civilian victims continues to increase.”

Mr Macron hinted at Israel's past military experiences in Lebanon and at Hezbollah's increase in popularity after the 2006 war, though the group currently appears weak after Israel decimated its leadership.

“Israel knows from experience that its military successes are not necessarily a victory in Lebanon,” said Mr Macron.