PARIS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need for a moratorium on attacks targeting energy infrastructure in the Middle East during a telephone conversation with Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog on Tuesday.
"In the Middle East, I stressed the absolute necessity for the parties to the conflict to commit to preserving civilian and energy infrastructure ... and to embark on a path toward a sincere resumption of dialogue," Macron said on X.
"Iran must also restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," he added.
Regarding the situation in Lebanon, Macron emphasized "the urgency of preventing further escalation" and called for preserving Lebanon's "stability and territorial integrity."
At least 17 people were killed and several others wounded in a series of Israeli airstrikes and ground operations across southern Lebanon, Mount Lebanon, and Beirut's southern suburbs overnight and early Tuesday, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.
The Israeli military later confirmed its strikes, saying that it had completed another wave of airstrikes across Lebanon, targeting fuel stations belonging to a Hezbollah-controlled company. ■
