France’s proposal to end Israel-Lebanon dispute, Hezbollah said – take care of Gaza first

France has sent Lebanon a written proposal aimed at ending hostilities with Israel and settling the disputed Lebanon-Israel border. The plan also calls for fighters, including Hezbollah’s elite unit, to retreat 10 kilometers from the border. According to the document seen by Reuters, the proposal aims to end fighting between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel on the border. The hostilities are running parallel to the Gaza war and are fueling concerns of a catastrophic, all-out conflict. Four senior Lebanese and three French officials said the document, the first written proposal brought to Beirut during weeks of Western mediation, was delivered last week by French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourn to top Lebanese state officials, including Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

It declares the aim of stopping a conflict that “risks getting out of control” and envisions “a possible ceasefire if the situation is right” and eventually negotiations on the delineation of the disputed land border between Lebanon and Israel. Does. Hezbollah formally rejected talks to ease tensions until an end to the war in Gaza. While some details of similar mediation efforts by U.S. Middle East envoy Amos Hochstein have been circulating in recent weeks, Lebanon The full details of the French written proposal have not been previously reported.

The three-phase plan envisages a 10-day process of de-escalation ending with border talks. A French diplomatic source said the proposal had been put to the governments of Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah. France has historical relations with Lebanon. The country has 20,000 civilians and about 800 troops as part of the UN peacekeeping force.