France Calls for Calm as Lebanon-Israel Border Tensions Escalate

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna warns of the potential for the Israel-Hamas war to spread, as violent exchanges continue along the Lebanon-Israel border.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has urged Lebanese leaders to reduce tensions along the border with Israel, warning that the ongoing Israel-Hamas war could spread to other parts of the region.
Colonna's visit to Lebanon followed a visit to Israel, where she called for an immediate truce aimed at releasing more hostages, getting larger amounts of aid into Gaza, and moving toward the beginning of a political solution.
Lebanon's Hezbollah group and Israeli troops have been exchanging fire along the border, with violent exchanges occurring since October 8, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called on Israel to implement U.N. Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war and stipulates that the border area in southern Lebanon must be free of any armed personnel, assets, and weapons other than Lebanese government forces and U.N. peacekeepers.
More than 100 Hezbollah fighters have been killed since October 8, with Israeli tanks, artillery, and air force striking areas on the Lebanese side of the border.