France opposes Lebanon ‘becoming a new Gaza’

France opposes Lebanon “becoming a new Gaza”, President Emmanuel Macron told a joint news press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “The prolonging of the war in Gaza favours a deeply concerning extension of regional conflict where Lebanon is the main victim today,” Mr Macron said. He described the number of casualties in Lebanon as “absolutely shocking” and expressed France’s solidarity with the Lebanese people. Mr Macron called on Israel to stop its strikes and said Hezbollah must stop retaliating. He also said the safety of civilians should be guaranteed on both sides.