French foreign minister calls for high-level dialogue on Israel

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Thursday called for high-level dialogue between Israel and Lebanon as the only possible way to implement a ceasefire.

Speaking to broadcaster BFM TV, Barrot stressed the significance of "high-level dialogue between Israel and Lebanon."

"This is the only possible way to consolidate a ceasefire, (...) and to resolve disputes between Israel and Lebanon that have persisted for decades," he said.

Israel has continued attacks in southern Lebanon following a cross-border strike by Hezbollah on March 2, despite a November 2024 ceasefire agreement.

Lebanese health authorities say more than 2,000 people have been killed and more than one million displaced since March.

Highlighting the need to include Lebanon in a ceasefire in the upcoming talks between the US and Iran to end the Middle East war, Barrot warned that the country "must not become the scapegoat of regional dynamics or wars it did not choose."

"Destroying Lebanon does not eliminate Hezbollah. On the contrary, it strengthens it," he underscored.

Barrot also renewed France's call for the "full reopening" of the Strait of Hormuz and respect for the "common goods of humanity."

"It is essential that freedom of navigation and maritime security in international waters — which are common goods of humanity — be preserved everywhere and under all circumstances," he said.

Barrot also reiterated the need to restore navigation. "Not only to limit the impact of the war on the global economy, but also to avoid setting a dangerous precedent."

US President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which took effect at 1400GMT Monday.

The blockade came after Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement in Pakistan's capital over the weekend during talks that were part of broader efforts to end the US-Israeli offensive on Iran that has killed more than 1,400 people since Feb. 28. The talks followed a two-week ceasefire.