France calls on Israel to stop Lebanon strikes: ministry

PARIS: France on Saturday (Sep 28) called on Israel to stop striking Lebanon, as the killing of the head of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group sparked fears of a widening war in the Middle East.
Speaking with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Paris wanted “an immediate halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon” and was “opposed to any ground operation”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
France also “calls on other actors, notably Hezbollah and Iran, to abstain from any action that could lead to additional destabilisation and regional conflagration”.