During a conference in support of Lebanon organized by France in Paris, the French president called for “a ceasefire in Lebanon” and expressed his “regret” at the continuation of Israeli military operations in the country.

In an interview with French channel CNEWS, Benjamin Netanyahu’s said he was ”extremely disappointed” by France’s stance on the conflict.

“I’m not sure you can defend a civilization by sowing barbarism yourself,” declared declared French President Emmanuel Macron  on Thursday in a direct reference to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayahu who has described the conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah as ”a war of civilization against barbarism.”

Macron made his remark during a conference in support of Lebanon in Paris, a French initiative bringing together the international community and aiming at  mobilizing 370 million euros in emergency aid for the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese displaced by Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in the south of the country. To set an example, France has pledged 100 million euros.

The French president took a harder line, calling for “a ceasefire in Lebanon” and expressing his “regret” at the continuing Israeli military operations in the country in the south, in Beirut, elsewhere, and that the number of civilian victims continues to increase.’’

He reaffirmed France’s commitment to Lebanon: “We will be there to support the Lebanese in rebuilding a free, sovereign Lebanon,’’ he said.

He also said that just as he regretted Iran’s actions, he regretted that Israel “continues its military operations in Lebanon, in the south, in Beirut, elsewhere, and that the number of civilian victims continues to increase”.

Israel, he said, “knows from experience that its military successes are not necessarily a victory in Lebanon”.

The French president recalled that he and US president Joe Biden had launched an appeal on 25 September for a 21-day pause and said he regretted that this had still not been heard.

Macron appeared to back a tougher mandate for FINUL, the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. “It will have to be robust, verifiable and operational enough so that everyone, in Lebanon, in Israel, at the United Nations, is convinced that the Lebanese state will effectively exercise its authority over the entire territory in the long term.”

Israel believes UN resolution 1701, passed in 2006, has never been fully implemented partly owing to the failure of Unifil to take up a key part of its mandate that calls on Hezbollah to pull back north of the river Litani, about 30km (20 miles) from the border with Israel.

On Wednesday, in an interview with French channel CNEWS, Netanyahu said he was ‘’extremely disappointed’’ with France’s stance on the conflict, highlighting the current tension in the relations between France and Israel.