French Foreign Minister Visits Lebanon Despite Israeli Airstrikes

JAKARTA - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is in Beirut, Lebanon. Barrot is in the city that is the target of Israeli airstrikes.

Quoting AFP, Monday 30 September, Barrot arrived in Beirut on Sunday 29 September evening local time. He arrived when the French Foreign Ministry announced two of its nationals had died in Lebanon.

The visit made Barrot the first high-level foreign diplomat to visit Lebanon since Israeli airstrikes increased over the past week.

Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad explained that Barrot had come to oversee the delivery of 11.5 tons of humanitarian aid from France to Lebanon.

In Lebanon, Barrot is scheduled to meet with officials including Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Barrot will also meet with the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon and members of the UN peacekeeping force in the south.

The Israeli military said it had targeted more targets in Lebanon claimed to be linked to the Hezbollah group on Sunday, September 29, after its leader Hassan Nasollah was killed in an airstrike in Beirut on Friday 27 September.

Israeli military attacks have raised strong concerns about further escalation in the Middle East.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also appointed former foreign and defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, as a special envoy to Lebanon.

Le Drian is known to have visited Lebanon six times, most recently earlier this week.