France urges Israel to avoid any ground operations, attacks on civilian areas, densely populated areas in Lebanon

France’s foreign minister on Friday called on Israel to refrain from “any ground operations, from any attacks on civilian infrastructure, and from any attacks on densely populated areas, particularly Beirut,” Anadolu reports. Speaking after a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, Jean-Noel Barrot stressed that “a path to peace remains possible” only if escalation is avoided. Barrot said the G7 statement “calls for an immediate halt to attacks against civilian populations and infrastructure,” adding: “There is no justification for deliberately targeting civilians in armed conflicts, nor for launching attacks against diplomatic facilities.” He underlined that France “denounces and mobilizes against violations of international law and international humanitarian law” in multiple conflict zones, citing Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. […]