Middle East War: Israeli Ambassador in France asserts ceasefire does not include Lebanon

The ambassador of Israel in France, Joshua Zarka, answered questions from Jérôme Chapuis on franceinfo on Thursday.

Published on 09/04/2026 at 07:53

Updated on 09/04/2026 at 08:44

Reading time: 3min

“No, Israel is not jeopardizing the ceasefire” in the Middle East, assures Joshua Zarka, ambassador of Israel in France, interviewed on franceinfo on Thursday. The day before, Lebanon was heavily struck by the Israeli army, a day marked by the worst strikes the country has seen since the beginning of the war and which, according to the international community, could compromise the fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States.

“We did not want this war in Lebanon. It was imposed on us,” he asserts. “Hezbollah, despite our messages, threats, has not disarmed and initiated this war. And this is not the first time. We need to disarm Hezbollah once and for all to finally achieve a situation of peace between us and Lebanon, a country with which we have no problems.”

Simultaneous Israeli strikes on Wednesday, especially without warning on residential areas of Beirut, have caused 182 deaths and 890 injuries, according to Lebanese authorities. They pose a “serious danger to the ceasefire and efforts for a lasting and general peace in the region,” affirmed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement through his spokesperson.

On franceinfo, Joshua Zarka assures: “These are not civilian bombings.” He specifies: “It is possible that civilians were hit in these bombings, which directly targeted Hezbollah. Everything that was targeted was related to Hezbollah: high-ranking officials, soldiers, members, and infrastructure.”

According to Joshua Zarka, the ceasefire “does not include Lebanon,” “very clearly.” “It only includes Iran. And in fact, it is a ceasefire that was violated by Iran a few hours after its signature.” He thus responds to the Iranian ambassador in France who stated, on Wednesday, on Radio France, that Lebanon was indeed within the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

He believes that the Lebanese government “chose not to disarm Hezbollah“: “Let the international community do its job instead of using fancy words with no action! Once and for all, the international community, instead of attacking Israel because it’s become a habit, should demand that the Lebanese government finally disarm Hezbollah,” he insists.

According to him, Beirut could “seek help” from the international community for assistance, “even from Israel”. “But the Lebanese government made a choice out of fear of a civil war. For years, Hezbollah has taken the entire country hostage: Christian, Shiite, and Sunni populations,” he accuses.