Will there be a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon?
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on September 25 that France and the United States are working to achieve a temporary 21-day ceasefire between Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and Israel to allow time for broader negotiations.
Speaking to the 15-member United Nations Security Council, Mr. Barrot said: "A truly viable diplomatic solution is needed. In recent days, we have been working with our American partners on a temporary 21-day ceasefire to facilitate negotiations."
He added that the plan would be announced soon, and expressed: "We are confident that both sides will accept it without delay, in order to protect civilians and facilitate the start of diplomatic negotiations."
Foreign Minister Barrot, who will visit Lebanon this weekend, said that Paris has been working with all parties to determine the parameters for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
"It's a challenging path, but a feasible one," he stated.
Resolution 1701 – adopted after a month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 – expanded the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force, allowing it to assist the Lebanese army in keeping areas in the south free of weapons or armed personnel other than Lebanese state forces.
This resolution has caused tension with Hezbollah, which effectively controls southern Lebanon despite the presence of the Lebanese army. Hezbollah is a heavily armed group and Lebanon's most powerful political force.
US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood told the council that the full implementation of Resolution 1701 is the only long-term solution.
Wood stated: "The United States has worked closely with all parties in the region. Our objective is clear – to prevent a larger war that we believe would not benefit any side, would not benefit the Israeli people, and would not benefit the Lebanese people."
"We are working with other countries on a proposal that we hope will lead to stability and facilitate discussions toward a diplomatic solution," he said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the meeting that Lebanon cannot become another Gaza.
"Let's speak clearly, let's stop the killing and destruction. Let's tone down the rhetoric and the threats. Let's step back from the brink. A full-scale war must be avoided at all costs," he said.
