France denies asking Israel not to attack Lebanon

By Wassim Seifeddine

BEIRUT

France has denied allegations that it asked Israel to refrain from attacking Lebanon before a new cabinet is unveiled in Beirut, according to a Tuesday statement released by France’s embassy in Lebanon.

Earlier, media outlets had quoted French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian as saying that French President Emmanuel Macron planned to cancel an upcoming visit to Lebanon -- slated for February -- if the country’s new cabinet had still not been unveiled.

Reports also suggested that France had suspended support for the Lebanese army to protest Hezbollah's continued military activity.

"France is paying close attention to the situation in Lebanon and hopes a government will be drawn up there as soon as possible," the embassy statement read, stressing the need to “ensure Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability and security”.

The embassy also urged relevant parties to comply with past UN Security Council resolutions pertaining to the “Blue Line” separating Lebanon from Israel.

According to Israeli daily Maariv, French officials urged Israeli President Reuven Rivlin -- during a recent visit to Paris -- to refrain from attacking Lebanon before a new Lebanese government is formed.

Ever since Lebanon held parliamentary polls in May of last year, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has struggled to draw up a new government.

The process has faced repeated delays and mutual recriminations between the country’s main political forces and demands by certain parties for more representation in the incoming government.

According to Lebanon’s constitution, the prime minister-designate does not have a deadline for unveiling a new cabinet lineup.

Late last year, Israeli troops reportedly destroyed a number of tunnels -- allegedly dug by Hezbollah -- linking Southern Lebanon to Israel.