France Attempts To End Israel-Lebanon Hostilities, Hezbollah Rejects Talks
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Raven Ruma
- . February 13, 2024
- . Update: February 13, 2024 3:26 pm
France has presented a written proposal to Lebanon aimed at ending hostilities with Israel and resolving the disputed Lebanon-Israel border. The plan calls for Hezbollah and other groups to withdraw 10 km from the border.
The proposal, the first written plan brought to Beirut during weeks of Western mediation, was delivered by French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne to top Lebanese officials, including Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
The three-step plan includes a 10-day process of de-escalation, culminating in border negotiations. France has historical ties with Lebanon and has 20,000 citizens and 800 troops in the country as part of a UN peacekeeping force.
The proposal has also been presented to the governments of Israel and Hezbollah. The plan suggests that both Lebanese armed groups and Israel would cease military operations against each other, including Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.
The hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel have been running parallel to the Gaza war and are raising concerns of a larger confrontation.
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have been attacking Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis.
So far, the skirmishes have resulted in civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of IDF soldiers and reservists.
Hezbollah has named 193 members who have been killed by Israel during the skirmishes. Israel has warned that if Hezbollah does not move back from the northern border in accordance with UN Resolution 1701, it will take action.
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The French proposal aims to prevent a conflict from spiraling out of control and envisions negotiations on the delineation of the Lebanon-Israel border. However, Hezbollah has rejected formal negotiations until the war in Gaza ends.
Hezbollah doesn’t want to have formal talks because they support Hamas and don’t want to negotiate while Gaza is being attacked. France suggested a plan to calm things down and avoid a bigger conflict.
Whether this plan works depends on whether Hezbollah is willing to prioritize peace over their alliances and ongoing fights. If Hezbollah doesn’t change its mind, it might be hard to achieve a truce even with diplomatic efforts.
