French Foreign Minister Arrives in Lebanon to Stop Hezbollah-Israel Conflict

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné arrived in Lebanon on Sunday as part of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions at the Lebanon-Israel border. The Hezbollah militant group, which is financially and militarily supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been engaged in conflict with Israeli forces for about seven months, alongside Israel's war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. According to the Associated Press, Séjourné's agenda includes meetings with UN peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon, the Speaker of Parliament, the Army Chief, the Foreign Minister, and the interim Prime Minister of Lebanon. Over 350 people have been killed in Lebanon due to Israeli attacks, most of whom are armed Hezbollah forces and their allied groups. Among the approximately 350 fatalities in Lebanon, more than 50 were civilians. In Hezbollah's attacks, 10 civilians and 12 Israeli soldiers have been killed. A French diplomatic official, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak with reporters, told the Associated Press that the purpose of the French Foreign Minister's visit is to convey "France's concern about the outbreak of a war with Lebanon" and to present an addendum to a proposal that Paris had previously offered to Lebanon for a diplomatic resolution to border conflicts. Hezbollah is primarily recognized as a proxy group of the Islamic Republic of Iran.