A 100 million euro aid package to support Lebanon. This is the promise of French President Emmanuel Macron at the opening of an international conference in Paris aimed at mobilizing financial and military aid for the country in the Middle East. Already devastated by the economic crisis and the terrible explosion at the port of Beirut, Lebanon in recent weeks has also had to face the consequences of the war waged by Israel on its territories against Hezbollah militants.
A situation that is bringing the Lebanese population to its knees. The goal set by the Elysée is to raise a total of 400 million euros, involving over 70 countries. The issue, however, remains diplomatic. Beirut’s calls for a ceasefire and restoration of sovereignty have gone unheeded by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
The situation of the Lebanese population after Israel’s attacks
“Massive aid is needed immediately for the Lebanese population, both for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the war and for the communities that host them,” Macron said. The war between Hezbollah militants and Israel has displaced a million people in the country and killed over 2,500, worsening the economic crisis.
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In total, French organizers hope that financial pledges of humanitarian aid from participants will reach more than 400 million euros. A figure deemed urgently necessary by the United Nations. In Paris’ plans, a contribution to restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and strengthening its institutions is also essential.
Germany promised 60 million to Lebanon
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told broadcaster RTL on October 23 that around 70 countries and 15 international organizations would participate. He promised that France “will not disappoint Lebanon.” Both Iran and Israel were excluded from the list of participants. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati will also participate. “It is urgent to ensure that aid for the Lebanese population arrives directly in the coming days and weeks,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, during a surprise visit to Beirut in recent days. “This conflict cannot be resolved by military means alone,” he stressed. Germany has pledged to provide another 60 million euros in humanitarian aid to Lebanon. This is what was announced by Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the end of a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which took place on the evening of 23 October on the eve of the summit.
Diplomacy bogged down in Lebanon
According to experts, the conference currently represents “the only diplomatic movement underway” on Lebanon. During the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September, France and the United States pushed for a temporary ceasefire in the country. Last week at the end of the Council of Foreign Ministers, after days of negotiations, a document was published condemning Israel for the attacks in Lebanon, in particular against the United Nations peacekeepers of the Unifil mission, to which it also contributes Italy with its soldiers. Josep Borrell, outgoing head of EU diplomacy, underlined how the intervention by the 27 of the bloc was however late and weak.
What is United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701
On the diplomatic front, France wants to reapply United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which marked the end of the last war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. According to the document, the only armed forces present on Lebanon’s southern border with Israel should be the UN peacekeeping forces and the Lebanese army. A decision which, according to transalpine diplomacy, should “guarantee the sovereignty and unity of Lebanon” and “offer security guarantees to Israel on the other”.
The Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, also reaffirmed Italian support for the application of UN resolution 1701 and the urgency of reaching a ceasefire along the “blue line”. The deputy prime minister had a bilateral meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib, on the sidelines of the G7 Development meeting underway in Pescara. “Italy is among the main contributors to the Unifil mission, which continues to play a fundamental stabilization role in the area” said Tajani. “Our government will continue to assist the Lebanese people in the face of the humanitarian emergency they are experiencing, while promoting peace in the region.”
At least 400 million euros are needed for the Lebanese
While insisting on a ceasefire and seeking a new diplomatic path to the conflict, Paris has moved to “mobilize humanitarian aid from as many countries as possible”. Macron’s goal is to fill the UN coffers with 400 million dollars to aid the Lebanese displaced by the fighting. According to experts, even if he succeeded, the situation in the country is so serious that it would be a question of “palliative care”. The director of the NGO Oxfam in Lebanon, Bachir Ayoub, warned: ”Anything that does not lead to an immediate end to the destruction and deaths would turn this summit into a failure.”
