France proposes deal requiring Lebanon to recognize Israel, disarm Hezbollah to end war

The agreement would formally end the state of war that has existed between the two countries since Israel’s founding in 1948.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

France has put forward a proposal intended to end the war in Lebanon that would require Lebanon to recognize Israel and dismantle Hezbollah’s military presence as part of a broader political agreement between the two countries, according to three sources familiar with the initiative cited by Axios.

The proposal is currently being reviewed by Israel and the United States. Lebanese officials have already agreed to treat the framework as a starting point for negotiations, sources said.

If the plan moves forward, Israel and Lebanon would begin talks supported by both Washington and Paris with the goal of reaching a political declaration within one month.

French officials have suggested hosting the negotiations in Paris, where discussions would initially involve senior diplomats before advancing to political leadership.

Under the framework, Lebanon would formally acknowledge Israel and commit to respecting Israel’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The two sides would also reaffirm their obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement reached in 2024.

The Lebanese government would pledge to prevent attacks against Israel from its territory and implement its plan to disarm Hezbollah while banning the group’s military activity.

The proposal also outlines military steps designed to stabilize southern Lebanon. Lebanese Armed Forces would redeploy south of the Litani River while Israel would withdraw within one month from territory captured during the current conflict.

A U.S.-led monitoring mechanism would address violations of the ceasefire and respond to imminent threats.

UNIFIL peacekeepers would verify Hezbollah’s disarmament south of the Litani River, while a coalition of countries mandated by the U.N. Security Council would supervise the dismantling of Hezbollah’s military presence elsewhere in Lebanon.

The framework calls for Israel and Lebanon to open negotiations on a permanent non-aggression agreement to be concluded within two months.

The agreement would formally end the state of war that has existed between the two countries since Israel’s founding in 1948.

After such an agreement is signed, Israel would withdraw from five positions in southern Lebanon that Israeli forces have held since November 2024.

The final phase of the proposal envisions completing the demarcation of the Israel-Lebanon border and the Lebanon-Syria border by the end of 2026.

The diplomatic effort comes as Israel is preparing a possible expansion of its ground campaign in Lebanon aimed at capturing the entire area south of the Litani River and dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, according to Israeli and U.S. officials.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has already appointed a negotiating team for possible talks, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tasked former minister Ron Dermer with managing contacts with the Trump administration and handling negotiations with Lebanon if talks begin.