French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin will travel to Beirut today to meet his counterpart Fouad Siniora as Israel carried out air strikes against Lebanon, the French government said on Monday.
"The President of the Republic has decided to send the Prime Minister to Beirut today to meet the Prime Minister of the Lebanese government and to express the support of France and the solidarity of the French people in this trial," a statement issued on the sidelines of the G8 summit in St Petersburg said.
Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy will accompany Mr de Villepin, the foreign ministry said.
France, which has long ties with its former colony Lebanon and some 17,000 citizens resident in the country, has criticised the Israeli attacks as a "disproportionate" response to the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hizbollah guerrillas. It has also condemned Hizbollah's actions.
A cruise ship chartered by the French government is due to arrive in Lebanon today to evacuate French and European nationals and another ferry has been chartered with Norway.