ISTANBUL

French Ambassador to Beirut Herve Magro on Tuesday met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on Tuesday to discuss preparations for French President Emmanuel Macron's upcoming visit to Lebanon on Friday.

During the meeting, Magro emphasized the significance of the visit, highlighting the deep ties between Lebanon and France, according to the National News Agency (NNA).

He also expressed Macron's concern about the situation in Lebanon and congratulated President Aoun on the start of his term.

Aoun was elected by the Lebanese parliament on Thursday, ending over two years of political vacuum since President Michel Aoun left office in October 2022.

The meeting also addressed the ongoing situation in southern Lebanon, particularly the continued Israeli violations, and touched on the work of the cease-fire monitoring committee in the region.

French Embassy's political advisor Romain Calvary and adviser Jean Aziz were also in the meeting.

Marcon’s expected visit marks the first trip by a head of state since the election of Aoun last week.

Lebanese authorities have reported more than 520 Israeli violations of the cease-fire, including the death of 37 people and injury of 45 others.

Under the cease-fire terms, Israel is required to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line—a de facto border—in phases, while the Lebanese army is to deploy in southern Lebanon within 60 days.

Data from the Lebanese Health Ministry indicates that since Israel’s onslaught against Lebanon began on Oct. 8, 2023, at least 4,068 people have been killed, including women, children, and health workers, while 16,668 others have been injured.