France ramps up military aid to Lebanon as Macron calls on Hezbollah, Israel to halt attacks

France will strengthen its cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) by providing armoured transport vehicles, along with operational and logistical support, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday, amid Lebanon’s deepening entanglement in the escalating Middle East conflict.

In a post on X, Macron emphasized the urgency of preventing Lebanon – a country with deep historical ties to France – from being drawn back into full-scale war. “Everything must be done to prevent this country, so close to France, from once again being drawn into war,” he wrote. He directly appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to expand the conflict into Lebanon and urged Iranian leaders to refrain from pulling Lebanon into a war that is not its own.

Macron’s statements came shortly after he met with the chief of staff of the French military in Beirut, where Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun requested French intervention to prevent Israeli targeting of southern Beirut suburbs following evacuation threats issued by the Israeli army to residents there, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

France has positioned itself as a key advocate for de-escalation in the region, taking measures to safeguard its own interests and positions amid the broader confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Macron reiterated his call for an immediate halt to hostilities: “Hezbollah must immediately cease its fire toward Israel. Israel must refrain from any ground intervention or large-scale operation on Lebanese territory.”

This diplomatic push follows a sharp escalation that began around 2 March, when Hezbollah – the Iran-backed militant group – launched projectiles, including missiles and drones, into northern Israel for the first time since the November 2024 ceasefire. The attacks were framed by Hezbollah as retaliation for the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

In response, Israel launched a massive military operation against Hezbollah targets across Lebanon. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) conducted widespread airstrikes, hitting dozens of sites including Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs (Dahiyeh), a densely populated Shia-majority area considered the group’s heartland. Reports indicate strikes targeted senior Hezbollah figures, with claims of eliminating key intelligence personnel and other high-value targets.

By 3 March Israel expanded the operation to include ground forces, advancing into southern Lebanon to seize strategic areas and establish defensive positions. The IDF described the moves as “forward defence” to protect Israeli border communities and strategic sites from Hezbollah attacks, while ordering evacuations in dozens of Lebanese villages near the border. Israeli troops pushed beyond the five positions they had retained since the 2024 ceasefire, advancing over a kilometre in some areas with support from heavy bombardments. Defence Minister Israel Katz authorized the seizure of additional controlling territories to prevent further rocket fire.

The operation has raised fears of a broader ground incursion, potentially aiming to create a buffer zone extending toward the Litani River or even disarming Hezbollah more decisively. Analysts note that Israel mobilized tens of thousands of reservists near the border, fuelling speculation of a prolonged or deeper campaign similar to the 2024 invasion.

Casualties have mounted rapidly: Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported over 70 killed and hundreds wounded in Israeli strikes since the escalation began, with more than 83,000 people displaced. Hezbollah has continued limited retaliatory fire, vowing to persist despite its weakened state following prior losses.

With Reuters, with additional content by EUalive.

Caption: Heavy transport trucks carry Israeli tanks along a road near the Lebanon border in Upper Galilee, northern Israel, 05 March 2026. The Israeli military stated it is conducting strikes across Lebanon targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and personnel. EPA/ATEF SAFADI