France has aligned itself with the US and Israeli position that the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which has created a state within a state in southern Lebanon and is attempting to run the country, must disarm. Hezbollah, which lost hundreds of fighters in the Syrian civil war, is estimated to have 150,000 rockets in its arsenals in southern Lebanon.
In a daily briefing to journalists, a spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry said that "France's demands on Hezbollah are well known."
"In accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions, we are waiting for Hezbollah to disarm and act as a party that respects the full sovereignty of the Lebanese state, and we believe that Lebanon's stability requires Hezbollah to distance itself from tensions in the region," the spokeswoman added.
She also said that the French government believes that "Hezbollah's involvement in the civil war in Syria is dangerous, and we note that security along the Blue Line on the Lebanon-Israel border is a top priority for us."
When asked what France is doing about this, she said: "At this sensitive stage, we are continuing the dialogue with all the Lebanese parties and encourage them to agree on the proper functioning of the state institutions, which is essential for the stability of Lebanon."
