French president says Israel cannot expand its operations to Lebanon 'without consequence'

GENEVA

The French president on Wednesday said that Israel cannot expand its operations to Lebanon "without consequence," urging all parties to de-escalate the situation.

"Israel cannot, without consequence, just expand its operations to Lebanon. France demands that everyone respect their obligations along the Blue Line," Emmanuel Macron said in his address to the UN General Assembly.

Macron said that France will take steps to ensure that a diplomatic voice can be heard, as it's "indispensable" for protecting civilians and preventing the conflict from spreading across the region.

"There cannot be a war in Lebanon," he said. "This is why we urge Israel to cease this escalation in Lebanon and to Hezbollah to cease the missile launch to Israel."

"We urge all of those who provide them with the means to do so to stop doing so," he added.

Israel has launched waves of deadly airstrikes on Lebanon since Monday morning, killing nearly 610 people and injuring over 2,000 others, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,400 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.

The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the specter of spreading the Gaza conflict regionally.