US, France tabling a proposal for Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire amid escalation fears

Joe Biden and his administration have been pushing for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to ease the escalating conflict that has displaced tens of thousands in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, AP quoted United States officials as saying on Wednesday (September 25).

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with other senior Biden administration officials, has spent the past three days lobbying for international backing of the plan during meetings at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The proposal is aimed at securing longer-term stability along the volatile border, AP quoted officials as saying.

The President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, confirmed the efforts to broker a ceasefire on Wednesday. He said that the US and France are trying to hammer out an interim accord to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah with a view to opening broader diplomatic talks.

He told Reuters on the sidelines of the UNGA, “I don’t see that we can have a (broad) agreement but a form of interim agreement in order to avoid further escalation. This is the effort right now especially from the United States and France.”  in New York.

“During the last days there are a lot of deliberations to avoid further escalation, especially with Lebanon. There is a diplomatic initiative from the United States and France,” he said, adding that meetings in New York on Wednesday would be crucial.

The specifics of the cease-fire proposal are still being finalised. AP quoted one US official as saying that Israel is supportive of efforts to deescalate tensions.

Hezbollah and Israeli forces have exchanged near-daily fire since the Gaza war began on October 7. Recently, the clashes have become much more intense, adding to the instability in the region. Both sides have vowed not to stop the attacks or back down.

With inputs from AP