French envoy Le Drian says Lebanon faces "dangerous situation"

French presidential envoy to Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian warned Thursday that Lebanon is facing a "dangerous situation," while welcoming the continuation of talks to create a path out of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Speaking to BFM TV and RMC, Le Drian said Lebanon today faces serious threats to both its unity and territorial integrity.

"Today, Lebanon is in a dangerous situation regarding its unity and territorial integrity," Le Drian said, pointing to divisions among Lebanese factions over both Hezbollah and Israel.

He added that Lebanon's territorial integrity is under threat because "part of its territory is occupied by Israel, while another part is influenced and controlled by Hezbollah, which serves Iranian interests, meaning the interests of a foreign power."

Despite those concerns, the French envoy welcomed the continuation of the ceasefire, saying it opens "a 45-day horizon during which discussions will continue."

Le Drian also praised Lebanese leaders involved in the current negotiations, describing them as “high-level” and “courageous” for seeking direct negotiations with the Israeli government in an effort to pull Lebanon “out of this trap” and restore the Lebanese state’s ability to function and assert its authority.

He further described U.S. involvement in the negotiations as “positive,” even though Israel rejected French participation in the talks despite what he said was a Lebanese request for France to be included.