Israel should “refrain” from sending in troops to take control of a zone in south Lebanon, France’s foreign minister tells AFP, saying such a move would have “major humanitarian consequences.”
“We urge the Israeli authorities to refrain from such ground operations, which would have major humanitarian consequences and would exacerbate the country’s already dire situation,” Jean-Noel Barrot says.
Israel said earlier its military would take control of south Lebanon up to the Litani River, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border.
Barrot also hails the decision of the Lebanese government to withdraw its approval of the Iranian ambassador’s accreditation today, calling it “courageous.” Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani was told to leave Lebanese territory by Sunday.
“I wish to commend the statements and actions of the Lebanese government… which this morning took a courageous decision by expelling the Iranian ambassador,” Barrot says, accusing Hezbollah of dragging Lebanon into a new conflict.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
