Macron says Lebanon ready for direct talks with Israel, offers Paris as venue

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Lebanon is prepared to enter into direct negotiations with Israel and offered Paris as a venue to facilitate the talks.

In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Macron said the Lebanese government had indicated its readiness to engage in dialogue with Israel and stressed that the discussions should involve representatives from all sections of Lebanese society.

“France is ready to facilitate these talks by hosting them in Paris,” Macron said, adding that he had spoken with both the president and prime minister of Lebanon.

AFP said the French leader emphasised the need for urgent diplomatic efforts to prevent further instability in the country, which he described as being at risk of descending into chaos.

Macron also called on Hezbollah to immediately halt what he described as a reckless course of action. At the same time, he urged Israel to abandon plans for a large-scale military offensive and to stop its extensive air strikes.

Tensions in the region have intensified after Lebanon became involved in the wider West Asia conflict last week. The escalation followed attacks by Hezbollah on Israel, which the group said were carried out in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during strikes attributed to the United States and Israel.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on Friday that the organisation was prepared for a prolonged confrontation with Israel if the conflict continued.

The developments have raised concerns of a broader regional escalation as diplomatic efforts continue to seek ways to prevent the situation from spiralling further.