Donald Trump announced on the evening of Thursday, April 16, 2026, a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. In these negotiations, France was completely sidelined. This absence was desired by Israel and the United States. The two allied nations against the pro-Iranian Hezbollah in Lebanon have been trying for years to exclude the former mandate power.
This was the case in November 2024 when France was not part of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism between Israel and Hezbollah. The Americans did everything to marginalize the French military. For Washington and Jerusalem, Paris is blocking progress in Lebanon, the last country in the Middle East where we still have influence.
France, a disapproving witness of Israeli actions
While Americans and Israelis want to pressure the fragile Lebanese government torn between communities to militarily dismantle Hezbollah, France rightly responds that the military option alone is an illusion.
France is also seen as a nuisance because French soldiers are in southern Lebanon with UNIFIL, the United Nations force. They are witnesses to the actions of the Israeli army, which sometimes targets them. Again, Americans and Israelis have succeeded in their goals, as French soldiers and UNIFIL will leave by the end of 2026.
French influence is also declining due to local preferences. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is closer to the United States and speaks English better than French. Some of his advisors also lean more towards the New World. Additionally, the Lebanese army is mostly equipped with American materials, significant in an army where the top ranks are more pro-American than pro-French.
Not definitively sidelined
Despite the subordinate role it currently plays, France is not definitively sidelined in Lebanon. The ceasefire announced by Donald Trump yesterday remains very fragile and there is no certainty it will hold. Since there will be no military solution to disarm Hezbollah, other, more political options must be considered. This is where France, engaging with everyone in Lebanon, could be useful.
Although many Lebanese oppose Hezbollah’s weapons, they especially reject the hard-line American-Israeli method, as it could lead to interfaith confrontations. No one in Beirut wants to return to the dark years of civil war.
