France proposes Hezbollah withdrawal, border talks for Israel-Lebanon truce

Source: Reuters

Exclusive-France proposes Hezbollah withdrawal, border talks for Israel-Lebanon truce

Laila Bassam, Maya Gebeily and John Irish
Mon, February 12, 2024 at 6:25 PM EST·6 min read

BEIRUT/PARIS (Reuters) - France has delivered a written proposal to Beirut aimed at ending hostilities with Israel and settling the disputed Lebanon-Israel frontier, according to a document seen by Reuters that calls for fighters including Hezbollah's elite unit to withdraw 10 km (6 miles) from the border.

The plan aims to end fighting between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel at the border. The hostilities have run in parallel to the Gaza war and are fueling concern of a ruinous, all-out confrontation.

The document, the first written proposal brought to Beirut during weeks of Western mediation, was delivered to top Lebanese state officials including Prime Minister Najib Mikati by French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne last week, four senior Lebanese and three French officials said.

It declares the aim of preventing a conflict "that risks spiraling out of control" and enforcing "a potential ceasefire, when the conditions are right" and ultimately envisions negotiations on delineation of the contentious land border between Lebanon and Israel.

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