What's happened
At a conference in Paris, world powers raised $1 billion to address Lebanon's humanitarian crisis and support its military. France's foreign minister urged Israel to cease fire, while the Lebanese army faced ongoing attacks amid the conflict with Hezbollah. The situation remains dire, with over 1.4 million displaced in Lebanon.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Rachel Hagan from The Independent, the Paris conference aimed to raise $426 million in humanitarian aid, with France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot emphasizing the need for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post highlighted the challenges of delivering aid amid Lebanon's economic crisis and the ongoing conflict, noting that the Lebanese army has been targeted multiple times by Israeli strikes. The SBS reports that the situation remains critical, with calls for international support to strengthen Lebanon's military capabilities and restore stability.
How we got here
The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon has escalated due to ongoing conflict with Israel, particularly following a large-scale military offensive targeting Hezbollah. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) are seen as crucial for stability but are under-resourced amid a political vacuum and economic collapse.
More on these topics
-
Najib Azmi Mikati is a Lebanese politician and businessman who served as Prime Minister of Lebanon in 2005 and from 2011 to 2014.
-
Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese parliament.
-
Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron is a French politician who has been President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra since 14 May 2017.
-
Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
-
Lebanon, officially known as the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lies west across the Mediterranean Sea.
-
France, officially the French Republic, is a country consisting of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories.
-
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a sovereign country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands. Italy is located in south-central Europe, and is considered part of western Europe.