French Peacekeeper Killed in Lebanon, Macron Blames Hezbollah

A French peacekeeper has been killed in an attack in southern Lebanon. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the death on Saturday, directly blaming the Shiite movement Hezbollah for the incident.

Senior Sergeant Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment from Montauban died during an assault on United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon. Three of his comrades were wounded and evacuated, according to Macron's statement.

The French president expressed the nation's deep respect and support for the families of its soldiers and all military personnel working for peace in Lebanon. "All indications are that Hezbollah is responsible for this attack," Macron stated. "France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest those responsible and bring them to justice."

This incident threatens to escalate tensions in southern Lebanon. It comes just hours after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that the country was on the brink of a "new phase" of "permanent agreements" following a 10-day ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lebanon was drawn into the broader Middle East conflict on March 2 when Hezbollah, backed by Tehran, attacked Israel in retaliation for the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In response, Israel launched several strikes against Lebanon and began a ground offensive. The hostilities have resulted in nearly 2,300 deaths and forced over a million people from their homes.

Negotiations with Israel remain a point of deep division within Lebanon. Some see them as a path to end decades of persistent conflict, while others, including Hezbollah and its supporters, reject them outright.