French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that occupation and colonisation cannot guarantee security, in remarks widely seen as directed at Israel amid its ongoing military operations in Lebanon.
Speaking at the Arab World Institute in Paris alongside Lebanon’s Culture Minister Ghassan Salame, Macron stated:
“No occupation, no form of colonisation — not here, not in the West Bank, nor anywhere else — is able to ensure the security of anybody.”
His comments come as Israel continues airstrikes and a ground offensive in southern Lebanon, which Israeli officials describe as a “limited” military incursion targeting Hezbollah.
According to Lebanese authorities, the Israeli campaign has resulted in over 1,000 deaths and widespread displacement.
Macron also called for strict respect of international law, warning against the notion that security can be achieved through military invasion. He emphasized that Lebanon’s situation highlights the importance of universal principles and diplomacy over force.
Meanwhile, violence has also escalated in the West Bank, where several Palestinians have reportedly been killed in attacks linked to Israeli settlers, further intensifying tensions across the region.
The remarks were made during the opening of an exhibition dedicated to Byblos, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited port cities.
