Macron named the soldier as Florian Montorio, a staff sergeant in the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment of Montauban serving with Unifil, the United Nations‘ peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.

He was killed on Saturday morning in southern Lebanon, the president said in a post on X. The three soldiers wounded in the same attack were evacuated, he added.

„Everything suggests that Hezbollah is responsible for this attack,“ Macron said. „France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the perpetrators and assume their responsibilities alongside Unifil.“

But Hezbollah denied any connection to the attack. In a statement, the group urged „caution in making judgments and assigning responsibilities“ pending the results of an investigation by the Lebanese army.