The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and French President Emmanuel Macron, at a joint press conference in Montreal this afternoon, emphasized the need for an “immediate ceasefire” between Israel and the Lebanese group “Hezbollah.”

The French president, who arrived in the Canadian capital Ottawa yesterday evening, said he does not see the rejection expressed today by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the 21-day truce as a final response. Macron expressed his determination to “do everything possible to ensure the acceptance of this proposal.”

It is noted that this proposal was issued by the United States and France, supported by Canada and allied and friendly countries, and it calls for an “immediate ceasefire for 21 days across the Lebanese-Israeli border” and warns of “an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation” if not accepted.

"I believe it would be a mistake on the part of the (Israeli) Prime Minister to reject it because he will bear the responsibility for regional escalation, and of course more civilian casualties in Lebanon, but also an escalation that goes well beyond that and which no one can control," he said.

For his part, the Canadian Prime Minister said he discussed with his guest, the French president, the “devastating escalation” of the ongoing conflict between Israel and “Hezbollah,” which has claimed the lives of more than 700 people in Lebanon since Monday, including two Canadians of Lebanese descent.

Trudeau reiterated, as he did yesterday, that “there must be an immediate ceasefire,” adding that “this violence against children and women must stop.”

“We must see actions to restore peace and stability to Lebanon, and specifically also to prevent a broader escalation of violence and the killing of innocents in the region,” Trudeau added.

Trudeau and Macron also discussed the situation in Lebanon last night during an informal private dinner in Ottawa.

Upon their arrival at the federal parliament building this morning for a more formal meeting, the leaders summarized the conversation they had last night, with Trudeau particularly pointing to the “extremely difficult situation in Lebanon,” a country with “deep ties for France and Canada.”

At the press conference in Montreal this afternoon, Trudeau spoke again about these special ties.

The leaders also discussed the situation in Haiti, with Macron raising the possibility of France imposing sanctions on Haitian elites.

Canada, which has been imposing such sanctions for two years, is pressuring Europe to follow suit.

Trudeau and Macron also clarified that they had discussions about “responsible artificial intelligence,” combating climate change, fighting misinformation, as well as issues of defense and security.

On another note, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly affirmed the depth of Canadian-French relations through a tweet on platform X, stating: "Canada and France are close allies - with a shared vision for democracy, a green economy, and of course, our strong Francophone culture."