Beirut, May 31 (QNA) - French Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot reiterated France's solidarity and enduring commitment to respecting Lebanon's full sovereignty.

He stressed that Paris backs direct negotiations as the sole off-ramp to reach a lasting and sustainable solution to the crisis.

Barrot informed Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raji that France will call for convening an emergency session of the UN Security Council in the wake of the relentless Israeli escalation in Lebanon, the expansion of the scope of military operations, and the evacuation orders, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Israel has cranked up its military operations in southern Lebanon by conducting aerial offensives and expanding its ground incursion into several southern villages and towns, culminating in the takeover of Beaufort Castle amid warnings of a potential deterioration of the humanitarian and security situation in the region. (QNA)