Macron urges negotiations to shore up ceasefire in Lebanon

French President Macron and Lebanese PM Call for Ceasefire Negotiations as Regional Diplomacy Intensifies

French President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam issued a joint call Tuesday for continued negotiations to strengthen the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah following talks at the Elysée Palace in Paris.

“We should allow time for negotiations and not let the war resume,” Macron stated, emphasizing that consolidating the Lebanon truce remains an immediate priority for regional stability. The French president added that lasting peace “can only be achieved through an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the disarmament of Hezbollah.”

The Paris meeting comes at a crucial juncture in the diplomatic effort to prevent renewed hostilities in Lebanon. The ceasefire, which was set to expire Wednesday, has been extended by U.S. President Donald Trump at Pakistan’s request, as Islamabad prepares to host a new round of talks between the United States and Iran.

However, diplomatic momentum appeared to falter late Tuesday when U.S. Vice President JD Vance, expected to lead the American delegation, canceled his trip to Pakistan. Iranian officials simultaneously expressed uncertainty about their participation in the talks, raising questions about the viability of this diplomatic channel.

In Washington, a separate track of direct Lebanese-Israeli negotiations is scheduled to continue this week. These talks represent a historic breakthrough, marking the first direct diplomatic engagement between the two countries in decades.

Prime Minister Salam reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to this diplomatic process during the Paris meeting. “We are continuing along this path, convinced that diplomacy is not a sign of weakness but a responsible act,” he said, while emphasizing that “there can be no lasting stability without a complete Israeli withdrawal” from Lebanese territory.

The high-stakes diplomatic efforts follow more than a month of intense conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which began in early March when the Iran-backed militant group started firing missiles into Israel, prompting Israeli bombardment and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

The Paris meeting was overshadowed by Saturday’s attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which resulted in the death of a French peacekeeper and injured three others, two seriously. Both France and UNIFIL have attributed the attack to Hezbollah, though the group denies involvement.

Despite the incident, Macron expressed France’s readiness to maintain its military presence in a potential follow-up mission after UNIFIL’s mandate expires at the end of the year. The current peacekeeping mission’s extension was approved by the UN Security Council in August.

Earlier on Tuesday, Salam attended a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg, where Middle East policy discussions revealed continuing divisions within the 27-member bloc regarding its approach to Israel.

The path to the current ceasefire has been complex. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had initially proposed direct negotiations with Israel in exchange for a halt in hostilities—an offer Israel initially rebuffed. The diplomatic landscape shifted following the announcement of U.S.-Iran talks and Pakistan’s brokered discussions between the parties.

While the U.S. has framed the current ceasefire as a result of direct Israel-Lebanon talks, Hezbollah—which opposed and did not participate in those negotiations—has attributed the pause in fighting to pressure from Iran rather than the diplomatic engagement.

Iran’s role remains pivotal, as Tehran has insisted any ceasefire agreement must extend to Lebanon and has threatened to keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed otherwise—a move that would significantly impact global oil markets and shipping routes.

The convergence of these diplomatic initiatives represents a complex web of regional and international interests, with multiple tracks proceeding simultaneously in Paris, Washington, and potentially Islamabad. The success of these efforts remains uncertain as stakeholders navigate competing interests and deep-seated regional tensions.