France’s president began a visit to Lebanon Friday, where he will meet the crisis-hit country’s newly elected leaders, as the nation attempts to recover from the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.

BEIRUT (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel on Friday to accelerate its troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as a deadline nears for the pullout under the terms of a ceasefire that ended the war with Hezbollah last year.

The Israeli military also moved into dozens of new positions across southern Lebanon in the first 40 days of the ceasefire.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel on Friday to accelerate its troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as a deadline for the pullout nears under the terms of a ceasefire which ended the war with Hezbollah last year.

The French president is scheduled to meet prime ministerial nominee Nouf Salam and newly elected President Joseph Aoun.

During a press conference at Baabda Palace, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun conveyed a hopeful message to French President Emmanuel Macron. "I hope you will testify to the entire world that the Lebanese people's trust in their country and state has been restored and that the world's confidence in Lebanon must fully return because the true and genuine Lebanon has revived,

New developments following the election of Western-backed Joseph Aoun as president perhaps offer hope for generating political momentum and restoring the international community's confidence in Lebanon.

France "will continue to be at the side of Lebanon and its people," Macron told Aoun in a telephone call, the French presidency said in a statement. Macron said he would go to Lebanon "very soon". "Congratulations to President Joseph Aoun on this crucial ...

French leader Emmanuel Macron is slated to visit Lebanon on Friday, the Lebanese presidency said, in the second such trip by a head of state since the crisis-hit country elected a president last week.

French leader Emmanuel Macron is due to visit Lebanon on Friday, both countries said, in the second such trip by a head of state since Lebanon elected a president last week.

France on Thursday welcomed the election by Lebanese lawmakers of army chief Joseph Aoun as president after a two-year vacuum at the top, urging the formation of a strong government to drag the country out of a political and economic crisis.

Meanwhile, the major operation launched by Israeli forces on the city of Jenin left at least six dead and dozens more wounded, Palestinian health officials said, just days into a fragile ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza. It comes as Donald Trump said he is “not confident” that the temporary truce will hold.