US, France call for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon

The United States and France called on Israel and Lebanon to accept a 21-day ceasefire to allow for a diplomatic resolution to the cross-border conflict that, in recent weeks, has threatened to spill over into an all-out war.

“We call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement,” the two countries said.

It was endorsed by ten other countries and entities: Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

They called on Israel, the Iranian proxy group Hezbollah, and Lebanon to adhere to a settlement based on the UNSC Resolution 1701 that set out the ceasefire terms for the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

Such a step would necessitate Hezbollah pulling out of the area of southern Lebanon near the Israeli border and moving back to the Litani River. Hezbollah has long violated that resolution.

The US, France, and the additional ten countries also called for the implementation of the May 31 Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal that was endured by the UNSC under Resolution 2735.

Diplomatic efforts to enforce Resolution 1701

“We call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement consistent with UNSCR 1701, and the implementation of UNSCR 2735 regarding a ceasefire in Gaza,” the 12 countries said.

“We are then prepared to fully support all diplomatic efforts to conclude an agreement between Lebanon and Israel within this period, building on efforts over the last months, that end this crisis altogether,” the 12 countries underscore.

They issued their call for an end to the year-long constrained cross-border IDF-Hezbollah war while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on a plane en route to New York, where he plans to address the United Nations General Assembly on Friday morning. 

A senior US official said that talks would be held during those 21 days for a diplomatic resolution, noting that it only involved the conflict with Hezbollah and did not include a Gaza ceasefire, even though steps were ongoing to finalize such a deal as well.

The official noted that it was expected that Israel and Lebanon would respond within hours to the call.

The United Nations Security Council held a meeting on Wednesday on the Israeli-Lebanese border.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke about the ceasefire push, stating, “We are counting on both parties to accept it without delay in order to protect civilian populations and allow for diplomatic negotiations to begin.”

The proposal sets out “a demanding path, but it is a possible path,” Barrot told the UNSC, which met on the sidelines of the high-level opening portion of the 79th General Assembly.

“France stands ready to avoid a regional war. Ladies and gentlemen, let us take advantage of the presence of a number of leaders in New York this week to impose a diplomatic solution and turn around this cycle of violence,” he said.