The United States, European Union, and several Western and Arab countries have issued a joint call for a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon as the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah threatens to escalate into a full-scale regional war.
The appeal, announced on Wednesday, aims to give diplomacy a chance to prevent further escalation along the border.
US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron spearheaded the initiative, working with other nations to issue a unified call for a temporary ceasefire.
The proposal has garnered support from the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
The ceasefire proposal suggests a 21-day halt in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot presented the proposal during an emergency session of the UN Security Council.
The goal is to prevent the current conflict from spiraling into a broader war. Barrot emphasized that both sides need to engage in peace efforts and accept the proposal for it to succeed.
The rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have put the region at risk of reaching a “point of no return.”
Barrot warned that a full-scale war would have devastating consequences, especially for Lebanon, which is already grappling with severe political and economic crises. If war breaks out, Lebanon’s recovery could be severely hindered.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has reached an impasse, with Hezbollah demanding a halt to Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza as a condition for ceasing its own attacks.
In contrast, Israel insists that Hezbollah must withdraw from the border region before it considers stopping its military actions against the group.
The joint American-French initiative follows intense diplomatic efforts on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, including a meeting between Biden and Macron. Both leaders discussed efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and prevent a wider regional conflict.
Biden has expressed concern that a full-scale war in the Middle East is possible, while Macron has called for an end to the escalation in Lebanon, urging Hezbollah to halt its rocket attacks on Israel.
On the ground, Israel is preparing for a potential ground invasion of Lebanon to counter Hezbollah, which has been intensifying its attacks on Israeli territory. Israeli forces intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Hezbollah towards Tel Aviv, marking the first time the group has targeted the Israeli city with such a weapon.
Additionally, Israel’s military is gearing up for a potential ground offensive against Hezbollah as the conflict shows no signs of abating.
