French minister warns UNIFIL mission 'very dangerous' as border tensions boil

French army minister Sebastien Lecornu has said that the UNIFIL's mission might become "very dangerous" as he visited a French UNIFIL contingent in Deir Kifa.

Lecornu met with Army chief Joseph Aoun on Monday and discussed with him the U.N. mission and how to protect Lebanese and UNIFIL soldiers amid rising border tensions in south Lebanon.

"Our time here will be strewn with uncertainty in the weeks and days to come. I would be a bad minister if I did not warn you that the mission will continue to be, if not uncomfortable, potentially very dangerous," Lecornu said.

France is one of the main contributors to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, where it has deployed nearly 700 troops.

Since October 8, the frontier between Lebanon and Israel has seen escalating cross-border fire, between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, which says it is acting in support of Gaza.

The U.N. force has itself been hit by Israeli fire several times, without causing any deaths among peacekeepers.

"War is avoidable, and both sides have no interest in war," Lecornu told Aoun.

Lecornu will meet Aoun again on Tuesday to discuss the planned delivery of dozens of armored vehicles to the Lebanese Army.