France and U.S. say Lebanon ceasefire is holding, urge presidential vote

At a joint news conference in Paris, French and U.S. officials said a ceasefire in Lebanon is holding and urged Lebanese lawmakers to proceed with a presidential vote scheduled for the following day.

The French minister said the ceasefire has been implemented “thanks to Franco American Franco American mechanism which is yielding results,” and said the partners were working to facilitate the election of a president.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the joint oversight mechanism is functioning and pointed to recent troop movements as evidence of progress: “We’ve seen as recently as yesterday now, the withdrawal of about, more than a third of Israeli forces, in Lebanon.” He said the ceasefire can “be a bridge to a durable peace that allows people on both sides of the border, Israel and Lebanon, to return to their homes.”

Both officials framed the ceasefire as part of broader bilateral cooperation that also includes work on Ukraine, Syria and other regional issues. The French minister emphasized the goal of restoring Lebanese institutions, saying, in reference to the vote, that he hopes “the president will be elected in Lebanon so that Lebanon can continue with its, institution in place.”

Neither speaker described binding timelines beyond the next-day vote or detailed enforcement measures for the mechanism. They also acknowledged remaining challenges and said continued bilateral coordination would be needed.

Looking ahead, officials said they would keep coordinating with partners to support Lebanon’s stability while pursuing parallel diplomatic efforts in the region.