Emmanuel Macron reaffirms France's unwavering support for Lebanon after the explosion at the port of Beirut

Emmanuel Macron reiterated this Sunday, August 4, France's “unwavering commitment” to Lebanon, four years after the devastating explosion that shook the port of Beirut. This statement comes against a backdrop of increased tensions between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah.

« Beirut, a greeting from my heart. Four years after the explosion, my thoughts remain with the Lebanese,” the French president wrote on the social network for all victims"

Commemorations and calls for justice

Several marches were planned this Sunday afternoon in Beirut to honor the memory of the victims of the 2020 explosion and to demand accountability from those responsible, while the investigation stagnates.

On August 4, 2020, one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history devastated large areas of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring more than 6.500. The explosion was caused by a fire in a warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate were stored without precaution.

Escalation of regional tensions

Four years after this tragedy, the commemoration takes place in a climate heavy with fears of a major conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Threats of retaliation from Iran, Palestinian Hamas and Hezbollah intensified after the assassination Wednesday in Tehran of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, attributed to Israel, and an Israeli strike Tuesday that killed Hezbollah's military leader , Fouad Chokr, near Beirut.

Alice Leroy