French Proposal for De-escalation Between Lebanon and Israel

Report by Raneem Bou Khzam, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine 

 

Indeed, a French proposal to halt the escalation between Lebanon and Israel is now on the table. The broad outlines of the proposal are known, with additional details provided by Reuters regarding the timeline. What you should know about the plan is that it calls for de-escalation, leading to a ceasefire within ten days of the agreement being signed if achieved.

In the first step, both Israel and the Lebanese non-state groups halt military operations. The second step begins within three days of the first step, which involves withdrawing Lebanese armed parties to 10 kilometers north of the border. France considers this distance a compromise, as it does not mandate, like Resolution 1701, a withdrawal to the Litani River, which is about 30 kilometers from the border at its farthest point, but rather to a shorter distance.

After the withdrawal of armed groups, including Hezbollah, the Lebanese Army begins to deploy. According to Reuters, Israel halts its air sorties over Lebanese territory.

During the third and final step, indirect negotiations to demarcate the land borders emerge. According to the proposal, during these negotiations, efforts are made to create a roadmap whereby the area between the borders and the Litani River becomes free of unofficial armed elements.

Since the responsibility for securing the area will lie with the Lebanese Army, the proposal calls for an international conference to finance and train the Army.

What is the fate of this proposal, which has been presented to the official Lebanese authorities, Hezbollah, and Israel? The answer is simple: for Hezbollah, there is no consideration of any proposal before the cessation of attacks on Gaza, and after that, discussions begin!