Macron says ‘nothing justifies’ South Lebanon escalation; UN to hold emergency meeting on Monday at France’s request

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday (May 31) condemned the growing escalation in southern Lebanon, saying the intensifying conflict cannot be justified and calling for a lasting end to the violence.

In a message posted on X after speaking with regional leaders, Macron said that “nothing justifies the major escalation underway in south Lebanon” and stressed the need to bring the violence “to an end for good”.

Macron also stressed the importance of diplomacy, saying it was “essential” that the United States and Iran quickly reach an agreement to prevent further escalation in the region.

“As for regional stability, it must begin with Lebanon, where it is urgent that the weapons fall silent—all of them, and for good. Nothing justifies the major escalation currently underway in southern Lebanon. France will continue its support for the Lebanese authorities in their efforts to restore state sovereignty and the country's territorial integrity,” he wrote on X.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting at France’s request on Lebanon on Monday, as mounting international concern grows over Israel’s expanding military offensive in the country’s south. The developments have raised fears of a broader regional conflict at a time when diplomatic efforts to stabilise West Asia remain fragile.

“I have requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council because, while we recognise Israel's right, like that of all countries, to self-defence... nothing can justify the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and its ever-deeper occupation of Lebanese territory,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told BFMTV channel on Sunday.

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Netanyahu calls Beaufort capture a ‘dramatic shift’

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to deepen military operations in Lebanon after Israeli forces captured the medieval Beaufort Castle, calling it a major turning point in the campaign against Hezbollah.

Netanyahu said the takeover of the strategic site marked a significant shift in Israel’s military approach in Lebanon. “The capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policy we are leading,” Netanyahu said in a video message released by his office. “Now my directive is to deepen and expand our hold on areas that had been under Hezbollah’s control.”

He also claimed that thousands of Hezbollah militants have been killed since the conflict escalated following the Hamas-led October 2023 attacks.