Statement issued by the Permanent Representative of France
New York, 11 march 2026
I will read this joint statement regarding the current escalation in Lebanon on behalf of Armenia, Austria, Bahrain, Cambodia, Croatia, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Nepal, North Macedonia, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Serbia, Spain, United Kingdom, Uruguay.
We, troop-contributing countries to the UN peacekeeping Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), joined by several other member states, express our deep alarm at the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. We call on parties to urgently return to the cessation of hostilities arrangement and respect the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006).
Faced with war, Lebanon must be supported. Its sovereignty and territorial integrity must be preserved. We express our full solidarity with Lebanon and the Lebanese people.
We condemn in the strongest terms Hezbollah’s reckless decision to join the Iranian attacks against Israel since March 2, 2026, dragging Lebanon in a war neither its authorities nor its population wanted. We urge Hezbollah to immediately cease its fire toward Israel, and to give up its weapons. We support the effort of the Government of Lebanon toward the swift implementation of Resolution 1701. We commend the Lebanese government’s recent decisions to dismantle Hezbollah’s security and military activities in Lebanon and to implement by all means phase 2 of the Nation Shield Plan for the State monopoly on weapons. We stand ready to increase our support to the Lebanese State’s sovereignty and its armed forces to ensure control of the territory and stabilise the country. We welcome President Aoun’s 4 points initiative, including the call for direct negotiations under international auspices.
We urge Israel to abstain from attacks against civilian infrastructure and heavily populated areas and to respect the Lebanese sovereignty and its territorial integrity.
All parties must respect international law, including international humanitarian law, and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Nearly a million Lebanese civilians have had to flee their homes following Israeli evacuation orders to escape hostilities. We commit to support the Lebanese government’s response to the needs of the displaced population and their host communities, and with the support of humanitarian actors in Lebanon, including UN agencies, the Red cross and Red crescent movement, international and local NGOs.
We reaffirm our strong support for the mandate of UNIFIL in South Lebanon, whose work is essential to support the sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability of Lebanon as enshrined in UNSC resolution 1701.
We condemn in the strongest terms the attack that affected the Ghanaian contingent of UNIFIL in its base in southwestern Lebanon on March 6, 2026. Those responsible for the attack must be held accountable. We express our solidarity to the government of Ghana and wish to the wounded peacekeepers a speedy recovery.
We urge all parties, under all circumstances, to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises, in accordance with international law. Peacekeepers must never be the target of attacks or intimidation of any kind. We commend the courage, professionalism and dedication of UNIFIL peacekeepers in the fulfilment of their mandate.
