France has reiterated its firm demand for the full protection of United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon and requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address the rapidly deteriorating security situation, the French Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday, March 11, 2026.
In an official statement, the ministry emphasized that the safety and security of UN personnel, property, and premises must be guaranteed in full accordance with international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006), which established the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and called for the disarmament of non-state armed groups.
The appeal comes as regional violence intensifies following the US-Israel joint military operation against Iran that began on February 28, 2026, resulting in more than 1,200 deaths to date, including the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel has simultaneously expanded operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite a ceasefire agreement reached in late November 2024.
Iran has refused to back down, launching retaliatory missile and drone attacks against Israel and U.S. military assets in Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.
France specifically condemned an attack on March 6, 2026, that injured three Ghanaian peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL, one of them seriously. “The President of the Republic condemned the unacceptable attack,” the ministry stated, expressing solidarity with Ghana and wishing the injured personnel a speedy recovery.
The government has formally requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council in New York to discuss the escalating crisis.
Paris also voiced deep concern over Hezbollah’s “irresponsible decision” to join Iran’s attacks on Israel since March 1, 2026. France called on Hezbollah to immediately cease its military operations and surrender its weapons, while reaffirming support for the Lebanese government’s March 2, 2026, decision to ban Hezbollah’s military and security activities.
The ministry urged Israel to refrain from launching a ground intervention or any sustained large-scale operation in Lebanon, stressing respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
France highlighted the growing displacement of civilians and announced ongoing coordination with Lebanese authorities, humanitarian organizations, and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) to address urgent humanitarian needs in affected areas.
The statement concluded with a renewed call for all parties to exercise maximum restraint, return to full compliance with the November 26, 2024, ceasefire, and adhere strictly to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and international humanitarian law.
The French position reflects broader European anxiety over the risk of a multi-front regional war drawing in additional actors and further destabilizing global energy markets, already strained by disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
