MARCH 14, 2026 14:25 French President Emmanuel Macron offered on Saturday to host ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Paris. “Everything must be done to prevent Lebanon from descending into chaos,” Macron wrote on X/Twitter. “Hezbollah must immediately halt its escalating conflict. Israel must abandon its large-scale offensive and cease its massive airstrikes.” The French president went on to note that “thousands of people have already fled” the Israeli strikes. Macron’s statement comes after the United Nations confirmed last week that over 800,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed the figure was even higher, asserting on Monday that over a million Lebanese supporters of Hezbollah had evacuated. “The Lebanese government has indicated its willingness to engage in direct talks with Israel,” Macron went on. “All segments of the country must be represented.” France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a joint press conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, March 13, 2026. (credit: LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL VIA REUTERS) He added that “Israel must seize this opportunity” for a ceasefire and find a solution that would allow the Lebanese government to uphold its “commitments to Lebanon's sovereignty.” “France is ready to facilitate these discussions by hosting them in Paris,” Macron concluded. Macron asserts Hezbollah attacks, subsequent Israel ground op., mistakes “The war has spread to Lebanon, from where Hezbollah committed the major fault of striking Israel and endangering the Lebanese people,” Macron said on March 3, following the resumption of open warfare between Israel and Hezbollah. Following the start of Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion against the Islamic regime in Tehran, Hezbollah joined Iran’s attacks on Israeli territory by launching rockets and drones over Lebanon’s southern border. According to the IDF, over 350 Hezbollah terrorists have been killed since. “Israel is reportedly considering a ground operation,” Macron said at the time. “That too would be a dangerous escalation and a strategic mistake.” Days later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met to discuss the situation in Lebanon. Aoun, this past Monday, called for the implementation of a new ceasefire agreement with Israel and demanded a complete halt to all Israeli action against Hezbollah. However, despite an offer from Lebanon for direct talks this past week, Israel rejected the proposition, deeming the offer too little too late and viewing the Lebanese government as too impotent to act on its commitment to disarm Hezbollah, Reuters reported on Friday. See more on