France is working to address the negative reactions stemming from its support for Israel in its conflict with "Hamas" in Gaza. This effort is reflected in the visit of the French Minister of Defense and the Armed Forces, Sébastien Le Cornu, to Beirut, with the aim of clarifying the French position.

France wants to emphasize that it currently maintains a neutral stance, rejecting the targeting of civilians and stressing the importance of rational and wise conduct by all parties in the South to prevent the situation from escalating and moving from Gaza to the northern front.

The French Minister's visit to Lebanon went beyond his inspection of the French unit within UNIFIL in southern Lebanon. It also aimed, although somewhat belatedly, to rectify the French position that President Emmanuel Macron had expressed during his visit to Israel. This stance was reiterated by the French Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna, in her meetings in Beirut with the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, the Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, the Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, and others. She warned against Lebanon getting involved in the ongoing Gaza war, as such involvement would leave no safe areas in Lebanon.

According to a government source, Le Cornu informed those he met that Paris takes a neutral position and is not biased in favor of Israel. France is seeking to prevent the expansion of the ongoing conflict between "Hamas" and Israel to the northern front and is primarily interested in maintaining calm along the Blue Line. France also wants to activate the tasks of the international force responsible for supporting the Lebanese Army in implementing UN Resolution 1701.

However, the new aspect of the French position is that Paris has decided to send urgent aid, including medical equipment and medicines, to the Lebanese Army. Le Cornu stressed the need for a permanent solution to the Palestinian cause based on the two-state solution, allowing the Palestinians to establish their independent state.

In this context, it is rumored that Paris prefers extending General Aoun's term, especially since there are political forces opposing his successor in leading the military institution in the absence of a president.

The French position aligns with the American position, with the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, and her assistants also advocating for the extension of General Aoun's term in meetings with various parliamentary blocs.

Support for General Aoun's extension comes from several European and Arab countries, with Qatar openly calling for his continued service.

The question now is how tFree Patriotic Movement Leader MP Gebran Bassil, who is leading the campaign against extending General Aoun's term, will respond to this. Marada Movement Leader Sleiman Frangieh recently joined Bassil in this campaign. Some suggest that this move was coordinated with Hezbollah that allowed Bassil to conduct his consultation tour with parliamentary blocs. However, this does not necessarily indicate an endorsement of Bassil's presidential candidacy, as it appears unlikely that he will receive such support.

By including Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara al-Rahi in his consultation tour, Frangieh has paved the way for the Patriarch to express support for extending General Aoun's term. If not, there would have been no need to mention the inappropriateness of discussing the removal of the army commander during such a critical phase in Lebanon's history.

With this stance, it is expected that the Patriarch will advocate for the extension of General Aoun's term, potentially reshaping the landscape and expanding the circle of supporters for the extension. This could lead to a parliamentary session to consider multiple draft laws aimed at keeping General Aoun in military service. In this scenario, the proposed law may not be presented as the sole and top item on the legislative session agenda. It may be included alongside other bills and legislative proposals. This development has prompted the Speaker of Parliament to object to the draft law submitted by MPs from the "Strong Republic" bloc, who insisted on its inclusion as a standalone item. It is not permissible for any group to dictate terms in this regard.

This article was initially published in Arabic in Asharq Al-Awsat, translated by Christina Rai.