France opposes Israel's invasion of Lebanon

Ambassador to the UN urges warring parties to immediately consider the 21-day ceasefire proposal put forward by France and the US

Smoke rises following an Israeli military strike on a village in southern Lebanon. EPA / STR

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France on Wednesday condemned the deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon, called for an immediate ceasefire and declared its opposition to Israel's invasion of its neighbour.

The French ambassador to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, told the Security Council it was “imperative” for Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity to be restored.

“The situation in Lebanon is serious: military operations are intensifying, the Israeli army has carried out land incursions in violation of Lebanese sovereignty, and Hezbollah is pursuing its attacks against Israel,” Mr de Riviere said at an emergency meeting requested by Israel and France.

“France is opposed to any Israeli ground operation in Lebanon and … condemns the Israeli air strikes, which have caused an unacceptable number of civilian casualties, and the attacks by Hezbollah against Israel and its population.”

Last month, Israel shifted its focus from the war in Gaza, which erupted after the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israel, to strengthening security along its northern border with Lebanon.

The 15-member UN Security Council convened after Israel launched a ground offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah this week. On Tuesday, Tehran sent a barrage of ballistic missiles into Israel, stoking fears of a broader regional war.

Mr de Riviere urged the warring parties to urgently consider a 21-day ceasefire proposal proposed by the US and France.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, told the Security Council that “raging fires in the Middle East are fast becoming an inferno”.

“We have seen a dramatic escalation – so dramatic that I wonder what remains of the framework this Council established with Resolution 1701,” he said, referring to the measure that ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel but was never fully implemented.

Mr Guterres rejected Israel's request to relocate UN peacekeepers from southern Lebanon, stating they would remain where the “UN flag continues to fly”.

He also condemned Iran's attack on Israel. Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced he was barring Mr Guterres from entering the country, blaming the UN chief's failure to specifically condemn Iran's missile attack.

Israel's vow to retaliate has spurred diplomatic efforts to ease tensions, with Iran warning of a larger attack if Israel proceeds. Of the 200 missiles fired, most were intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems, bolstered by support from the US and allies. Israel's UN envoy, Danny Danon, warned Tehran of consequences "far greater than they could ever have imagined."

US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield criticised Iran's support for regional proxies, blaming it for the crises in Gaza and Lebanon. She accused the IRGC of acting in solidarity with Hezbollah after its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed, rather than defending Iran from threats.

Iran defended its actions as a response to "Israel's continued aggressive acts," with Tehran’s UN ambassador, Amir Iravani, warning Israel that its attacks would not go unpunished.

Lebanon's UN ambassador, Hadi Hachem, condemned Israel's actions and said its claims of limited operations are “false”.

“The damage to civilians and infrastructure is immense,” he noted, highlighting the dire situation in southern Lebanon and Beirut where children have been forced to sleep on the streets.