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Israeli PM Warns Lebanon On Hezbollah Ahead Of France Trip

MIDEAST

Newly-installed caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid has warned of action against Hezbollah in Lebanon if the Lebanese gov't does not become involved in order to restrict the activities of the group.

  • Ahead of a trip to France to meet with President Emmanuel Macron, Lapid stated that "The Lebanese government needs to rein in Hezbollah or we will be compelled to do it ourselves".
  • Lapid's warning comes days after Hezbollah launched three unarmed drones towards an area of the Mediterranean Sea where an Israeli gas platform was recently installed. All three were shot down by Israeli Defense Forces, but in a statement Hezbollah said that "On Saturday afternoon, three unarmed drones were launched towards the disputed Karish field for reconnaissance missions...The mission was accomplished,"
  • As the former colonial power, the French gov't has taken a particular interest in Lebanese gov't affairs - with notable interventions in recent gov't crises in the Levantine state following the massive explosion at the port of Beirut in 2020.
  • With a general election taking place in Israel in November (the country's fifth in just over three years), the caretaker gov't of liberal Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid will be keen to prove its hawkish credentials in order to try to deny former PM Benjamin Netanyahu a return to power.

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