Jean-Noël Barrot Visits Lebanon as Israeli Army Strikes Kill At Least 968

France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot is set to travel to Lebanon this Thursday, March 19, 2026, where the Israeli army is conducting military operations against the pro-Iranian Hezbollah that have caused massive population displacements, France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced to AFP on Wednesday.

“Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s special envoy for Lebanon, is to arrive in Beirut on Wednesday as Paris seeks to restore its flagging diplomatic role in the country, experts say”

Al Jazeera

The French ministry said the visit demonstrates France’s support and solidarity with the Lebanese people, adding that “the minister will consult with the country’s major authorities on the situation in Lebanon and the avenues for de-escalation.”

Al Jazeera

Ouest-France reported that Barrot is expected to hold talks with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and the Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, after telephone discussions with Gideon Saar and Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

The same Ouest-France report said Israeli strikes have killed at least 968 people, including 116 children, according to authorities, and driven more than a million people onto the roads, more than a sixth of the population of this small country.

France sent 60 tons of humanitarian aid last week, and Barrot is expected to “announce a new package of humanitarian aid to help the Lebanese,” the ministry said.

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yehiel Laiter, criticized France’s role in Lebanon after direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington, telling reporters, “We certainly do not want to see the French involved in these negotiations.”

Laiter added, “We want to keep the French as far away as possible from almost everything, especially when it comes to peace talks,” while a journalist asked whether Israel coordinated to keep France out of the talks.

Arab News FR

In response, Ouest-France reported that France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot is expected to consult Lebanon’s major authorities on de-escalation, and that the visit comes after telephone discussions with Gideon Saar and Marco Rubio.

Separately, Al Jazeera reported that Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s special envoy for Lebanon, is to arrive in Beirut on Wednesday as Paris seeks to restore its flagging diplomatic role, with talks expected to focus on continued aid for communities affected by Lebanon’s economic collapse and Israel’s invasion and occupation of one-fifth of the country.

Al Jazeera also said France is deeply involved in the future of the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, whose mandate is due to end this year.

France urged action at the UN Security Council after “gravely serious, unacceptable and inexcusable attacks” that UNIFIL blue helmets suffered in recent days, saying the attacks are part of a continuation of other incidents observed in recent months.

“At CNEWS, we respect your privacy, and it is thanks to personalized advertising that we enable you to receive high-quality information at all times, for free”

CNews

In a March 31, 2026 statement, France’s Permanent Representative Jerome Bonnafont said, “Three Indonesian UN peacekeepers have died in the last 48 hours,” and he paid tribute to them while expressing solidarity and condolences to the families.

Bonnafont said Israel committed serious incidents against the French contingent at Naqoura, particularly against the Force’s Chief of Staff, and France “strongly condemns these direct threats against the personnel of UNIFIL.”

He linked the deaths to the wider war, saying “in Lebanon, more than 1,200 dead and 3,500 wounded in less than a month,” and that one in four Lebanese displaced under extremely difficult conditions.

France said the path to end the war is known through full implementation of Resolution 1701 and the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, with the support of the American-French Monitoring Mechanism, while calling for de-escalation likely to open the path to direct negotiations.