Macron advisor meets Aoun, Berri in Lebanon visit

MENA adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron met Thursday in Lebanon with President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri amid increased pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.

Anne-Claire Legendre discussed with the two leaders economic reforms that the international community is demanding crisis-hit Lebanon to implement in order to unlock financial aid. She also discussed a ceasefire reached last year with Israel, Hezbollah's disarmament, and decreasing Israel's military pressure on Lebanon, local media reports said.

Legendre told Aoun that France will work to consolidate stability in the south and activate the work of the ceasefire monitoring committee "in line with Lebanon's wishes", while Aoun said that Israel's attacks are preventing the Lebanese Army from completing its deployment in south Lebanon, accusing Israel of fabricating false news about the army's failure to prevent Hezbollah from rearming.

"The Lebanese Army is carrying out its work with precision, contrary to what Israel promotes, and it enjoys the support of all Lebanese and the confidence of the southerners, but it needs support in military equipment and machinery," Aoun said, adding that the Israeli attacks are preventing the reconstruction of war-hit regions, especially in south Lebanon.

Aoun re-iterated his call for negotiations with Israel as a solution to halt the Israeli attacks and end the occupation of five hills in south Lebanon.

"We welcome any European participation in maintaining stability after the withdrawal of UNIFIL, in coordination with the Army," Aoun said.

The U.N. security council had voted to finish the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon at the end of 2026 under Israeli and U.S. pressure.

Legendre will meet later on Thursday with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Army chief Rodolphe Haykal.

Despite the November ceasefire, Israel has kept up near-daily attacks on Lebanon and is occupying five "strategic" hills in the south.

In August, the government ordered the army to devise a plan for Hezbollah's disarmament. Since then, the army has briefed the government twice on the plan but the discussions were kept secret.

France is part of a five-nation ceasefire monitoring committee chaired by the U.S. and including Lebanon, Israel, and UNIFIL.

PSP's al-Anbaa news portal reported Thursday that President Macron will visit Lebanon in December.