Lebanon's Salam reassured by Macron's 'constant support'

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he took reassurance from French President Emmanuel Macron's “commitments to help Lebanon”, after Thursday's meeting in Paris.

The first official visit of the international judge turned Lebanese Prime Minister to France focused on the former colonial power's role shaping the diplomatic and security agenda facing the leadership in Beirut.

Mr Salam and Mr Macron discussed the upcoming renewal of the mandate of a UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, Unifil, as well as bilateral security and economic ties.

“I thank France for its constant support to Lebanon, its security, sovereignty, and prosperity,” Mr Salam said on X.

The purpose of the visit was to reaffirm the diplomatic relationship between the countries. “They will also discuss the need for full compliance with the ceasefire, particularly with regard to the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces,” the Elysee said ahead of the meeting.

The Elysee said they would also discuss Israel's ongoing war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 60,000 Gazans.

Lebanon's Hezbollah became involved in the war out of solidarity with Hamas, which led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 Israelis.

After months of exchanges of fire and strikes across the border, Israel launched a campaign on Lebanon in September 2024 that killed most of Hezbollah's senior and mid-ranking leadership, followed by a ground invasion. It was estimated that about 3,800 people had been killed by the time of a November ceasefire.

It was in this context of a weakened Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, that Mr Salam, a former judge at the International Court of Justice, became Prime Minister a few months later.

Despite a ceasefire brokered by the US and France in November, Israel continues to strike Lebanon. Last week, heavy Israeli air strikes killed 12 people, including five Hezbollah fighters, in eastern Lebanon.

The US has submitted a proposal to the Lebanese government aimed at securing Hezbollah's disarmament within four months in exchange for Israel halting air strikes and withdrawing troops from positions its forces still hold in south Lebanon.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Lebanon's armed forces were to confiscate “all unauthorised arms”, beginning in the area south of the Litani River – the zone closest to Israel. There is a view among western countries that these efforts have not moved fast enough.