French President Emmanuel Macron has assured Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu that France is "fully committed to doing everything possible to avoid further escalation in the region" following a missile attack on Israel-occupied Golan Heights.
During a telephone conversation on Sunday, Macron pledged to pass on "messages to all parties involved in the conflict", following a rocket attack on the Golan Heights at the weekend that killed twelve young people aged between 10 and 16, and which Israel has attributed to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
According to the Élysée Palace, the French Head of State "also reiterated the need to reach a political solution to the issue of the Blue Line, on the basis of Resolution 1701".
In a statement posted on social media platform X, The French Foreign Ministry said:"France condemns in the strongest possible terms the attack on the Druze locality of Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan, which took a particularly heavy toll".
This comes as Lebanon has called for an international investigation after the deadly strike, which also injured 30 other young people, while another, aged 13, is missing.
Israel mulls 'retaliation'
According to Israel, the projectile was an Iranian Falaq rocket with a 53-kilogram warhead.
Israel's Foreign Ministry maintains that Hezbollah – which denies being responsible for the attack – is the only party to have such a rocket.
Israel has promised to "strike the enemy with force", raising fears of a regional conflagration in the midst of the war in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the site of the rocket strike Monday, has said "Hezbollah will pay a heavy price".
Meanwhile, airlines have suspended flights to Lebanon as diplomatic efforts are underway to contain soaring tensions between Hezbollah and Israel.
Several airlines including Lufthansa, Air France and Transavia announced Monday the suspension of their Beirut lines.
(with newswires)
