BEIRUT:
France’s foreign minister will put forward proposals to prevent further escalation and possible war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah during a visit to Lebanon on Sunday, as Paris tries to refine a road map they could accept and both sides to reduce tensions.
France has historic ties to Lebanon, and earlier this year Stephane Sejourne delivered an initiative that proposed Hezbollah’s elite unit withdraw 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Israeli border while Israel halted airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
The two have traded blows in recent months, but exchanges have escalated since Iran fired a barrage of rockets at Israel in response to a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus that killed members of the Iranian Revolution The overseas power Guard Corps Quds.
France’s proposal, which has been discussed with partners, notably the United States, has not progressed, but Paris wants to maintain momentum in the talks and stress to Lebanese officials that Israeli threats of a military operation in southern Lebanon must be be taken seriously.
Hezbollah has maintained it will not enter into any concrete talks until there is a ceasefire in Gaza, where the war between Israel and the Islamist militant group Hamas has entered its sixth month.
Israel has also said it wants to ensure that calm is restored on its northern border so that thousands of displaced Israelis can return to the area without fear of rocket attacks from across the border.
“The goal is to prevent a regional fire and prevent the situation on the border between Israel and Lebanon from worsening,” Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Christophe Lemoine told a news conference.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Nikati and Lebanese army chief Joseph Aoun met with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month to discuss the French proposal.
In a letter to the French embassy in Beirut in March, Lebanon’s foreign ministry said Beirut believes the French initiative would be an important step towards peace and security in Lebanon and the wider region.
Local Lebanese media reported that the government had provided feedback to the French on the proposal.
French officials say the responses so far have been generic and lack consensus among the Lebanese. While they believe it is too early for any form of agreement, they believe it is vital to get involved now so that when the time comes both sides will be ready.
Paris will also underline the urgency to break the political deadlock in the country. Lebanon has had neither a head of state nor a fully empowered cabinet since Michel Aoun’s term as president ended in October 2022.
Israel has remained wary of the French initiative, although Israeli and French officials say Israel supports efforts to defuse cross-border tensions.
“Flames will flicker and tensions will continue,” said a Lebanese diplomat. “We are in a situation of strategic ambiguity on both sides.”
France has 700 troops based in southern Lebanon as part of a 10,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force.
Officials say UN troops are unable to carry out their mandate, and part of France’s proposals are aimed at strengthening the mission by bolstering the Lebanese army.
After Lebanon, Sejourne will head to Saudi Arabia before traveling to Israel.
Arab and Western foreign ministers, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will hold informal talks on the sidelines of the World Economic Court event in Riyadh to discuss the Gaza war with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
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