(MENAFN) According to reports, France on Monday expressed “deep concern” following an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday, which killed five people and injured 25 others. Paris warned that the attack could trigger further escalation amid already high regional tensions.

In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry called on “all parties to exercise restraint,” emphasizing that any additional deterioration could put civilian populations on both sides of the border at risk. The statement urged all actors to make full use of the Ceasefire Monitoring Mechanism, established under the November 27, 2024, cessation of hostilities agreement, to report threats and prevent unilateral actions.

France described the mechanism as “essential to guarantee the safety of civilian populations in both Lebanon and Israel.” The ministry also reaffirmed France’s longstanding commitment to Lebanon’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity” and stressed the importance of avoiding actions that could undermine the fragile ceasefire.

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