French escalating concern over 'comprehensive war' in Lebanon

A French diplomatic source warned that the possibility of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah has become "very high," while Amos Hochstein, an advisor to the US president, affirmed that his country seeks to keep the conflict in southern Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel at the lowest possible level.

This article was originally published in and translated from the Arab outlet Asharq Al-Awsat.

Hochstein emphasized the "importance of the return of the residents of the southern towns to their homes, as well as the residents on the northern border of Israel."

A senior French diplomat said his country still holds onto the possibility of achieving a breakthrough regarding tension reduction and war prevention. 

The diplomat insists that French efforts to stop the fighting at the Lebanese border "are not one-sided," meaning they are not biased towards the Israeli side.

He also emphasized that recent French officials' positions "have been strict with Israelis regarding settlers in the West Bank, and the necessity to respect international law and human rights."

The French diplomat indicated that the situation in Lebanon has reached a high level of danger. 

He said, "Every day that passes in this situation increases the chances of a full-scale war; therefore, we cannot wait for the cessation of the war in Gaza to achieve calm on the Lebanese border." 

Moreover, the French diplomat clarified that the initiative taken by the French side has not yet entered the mediation stage, indicating that the current situation is a stage of presenting proposals for consultation and building on them towards securing the infrastructure for launching negotiations.