Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that a second French soldier has died due to the attack on the peacekeepers in southern Lebanon last Saturday attributed to the pro-Iranian group Hezbollah. "Anicet Girardin, corporal of the 132nd Infantry Regiment of Suippes, who had been repatriated, died this morning from his wounds," announced the French president.
"The nation, which will pay tribute tomorrow to Sergeant Florian Montorio (the first fatality in the same attack), pays tribute with emotion to Corporal Anicet Girardin and his sacrifice," added Macron, who bid farewell to the soldier as "fallen for France."
The second death comes a day after the meeting at the Elysee Palace between Macron and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, to whom he assured France's commitment to continue supporting his country even if the UNIFIL mission (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) were to end.
UNIFIL attributed the attack on its forces in the south of the country, which occurred last weekend, to "non-state actors." Macron did not hesitate to directly blame the Hezbollah militia, which has officially denied responsibility.
After the meeting, Macron publicly called on Israel to abandon its territorial ambitions and respect Lebanon's integrity. At the same time, the French president reiterated that Hezbollah must be "disarmed by the Lebanese."
Macron, who has offered humanitarian aid and armored vehicles to Lebanon, called for respect and the extension of the ceasefire reached through the mediation of the United States, which decided to exclude France from the negotiating table despite its historical ties to the country.