France rules out Lebanon war before Netanyahu speech to Congress

French officials speaking to Lebanese media said they do not believe the IDF will launch a general war against Lebanon before Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech to Congress scheduled for July 24, according to Naharnet.

The officials believe that "will deliver an escalatory speech at Congress against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran” and that he “might carry out a broad operation in Lebanon after his visit to Washington."

Saying that Hezbollah's continued border war with Israel over the war in Gaza gives Netanyahu an "excuse" to invade Lebanon should he so choose and that "Netanyahu might not settle for imposing a preventative Israeli military belt in the Lebanese south but might expand the war to entire Lebanon and this is very alarming."