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US, France demand immediate Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire

Backed by European Union and Arab countries, U.S. and France demand 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

By World Israel News Staff

President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macros released a joint statement on Wednesday evening calling for an immediate 21-day ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group.

“We call on all parties, including the governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary ceasefire immediately… and to give a real chance to a diplomatic settlement,” read the statement, which was released after an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the ongoing fighting in Lebanon.

Biden and Macron claimed that negotiations for an agreement “cannot succeed amid an escalation of this conflict,” before calling for “an immediate 21 day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement.”

The statement did not acknowledge that the U.S. has been attempting to broker a ceasefire for nearly a year, and has repeatedly failed in its efforts.

“The situation between Lebanon and Israel since October 8th, 2023, is intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation,” the text read.

Notably, the statement refrained from providing important context regarding that date, including Hezbollah had launched an unprovoked attack on Israel just one day after the Hamas massacres.

“This is in nobody’s interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon,” the statement continued. “It is time to conclude a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes in safety.”

That statement was endorsed by the European Union and several Arab countries.

Israel and Lebanon are expected to announce “within hours” if they accept the proposal, claimed a Biden administration official speaking anonymously to media.

“We have had this conversation with the parties and felt this was the right moment,” the official added.

The official did not elaborate regarding which parties within Lebanon had been privy to the potential agreement.

The government of Lebanon has said on numerous occasions that it cannot enforce policies on the Hezbollah terror group or influence its actions.