France’s ineffective diplomacy in Lebanon: A failure to address Hezbollah’s role

As Israeli airstrikes continue to pound southern Beirut, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot is set to arrive in Lebanon on Sunday evening, as confirmed by France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Despite the escalating violence, Paris has called for an “immediate cessation of Israeli strikes” and has voiced opposition to any ground operations in Lebanon. Barrot’s visit is aimed at engaging with local authorities and providing humanitarian support, according to official sources.

However, this diplomatic gesture appears hollow when viewed in the context of France’s broader foreign policy failures in Lebanon. Once a significant player in Lebanese politics, France has seen its influence drastically wane in recent years. The lack of any meaningful intervention to address Hezbollah’s growing power highlights Paris’ ineffective approach to the region’s complex issues.

In a recent phone conversation with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Barrot reiterated France’s stance against further Israeli military action, but failed to confront the role of Hezbollah—a group responsible for significant instability in Lebanon and the region. 

In 1982, Hezbollah orchestrated the bombing that killed 58 French soldiers in Beirut, yet the French government continues to avoid addressing the group’s influence head-on.

Moreover, French President Emmanuel Macron has notably shied away from acknowledging this tragic chapter in France’s history with Hezbollah. 

His reluctance to confront the group, which has become a dominant political and military force in Lebanon, only further underscores France’s diplomatic impotence.

The latest visit by Barrot may offer short-term humanitarian aid, but it does little to resolve the underlying security threats or to restore France’s standing in Lebanese affairs. 

The failure to hold Hezbollah accountable for its actions, both past and present, reflects a deeper unwillingness to tackle the root causes of instability in Lebanon, leaving the country vulnerable and France increasingly sidelined in the region’s geopolitics.

Hezbollah Attack on French Soldiers in Beirut, 1982

In 1982, Hezbollah carried out a devastating attack on French soldiers stationed in Beirut as part of the multinational peacekeeping force deployed in Lebanon during the country’s civil war.

The incident is one of the most notorious acts of violence linked to the Shiite militant group, which has been accused of orchestrating numerous terrorist attacks since its formation that year with support from Iran.

On October 23, 1983, Hezbollah militants targeted the Drakkar barracks, housing French paratroopers, with a massive truck bomb. This attack occurred on the same day as another bombing on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut. The blast at the French barracks killed 58 French soldiers and left many others injured. The attack marked one of the deadliest single losses of life for French forces since World War II.

The twin bombings were part of a larger pattern of violence aimed at forcing Western military forces out of Lebanon. The peacekeeping forces, including American, French, Italian, and British troops, had been deployed to help stabilize the war-torn country, but Hezbollah’s attacks signaled its opposition to foreign intervention, particularly from Western nations seen as allies of Israel.

The bombing of the French barracks in Beirut not only shocked France but also triggered a reassessment of international peacekeeping efforts in the region. 

In the aftermath, France withdrew its troops from Lebanon, underscoring the effectiveness of Hezbollah's violent campaign to challenge Western influence in the country.