France Denies Preparing a Plan to Stop the War Between Israel and Hezbollah

SadaNews - The French Foreign Ministry confirmed on Saturday that "there is no French plan" to stop the ongoing war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, responding to media reports about a French initiative to end the conflict. The French Foreign Ministry stated in a statement that Paris has "supported the Lebanese authorities' openness to direct talks with Israel and proposed to facilitate them", emphasizing that setting the agenda for any potential talks "belongs to the parties, and only to the parties". This French stance came after a report published by the American site "Axios" indicating that Paris had prepared a proposal to end the war that includes Lebanon recognizing Israel, and that this proposal is under review by the United States and Israel. According to the report, the proposal is based on launching negotiations between Lebanon and Israel with American and French support, aiming to reach a political declaration within one month, paving the way for a permanent non-aggression agreement between the two parties in the future. The proposal also includes the repositioning of the Lebanese army south of the Litani River and implementing a plan to disarm Hezbollah, in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the areas they have controlled since the outbreak of the current war. However, the French Foreign Ministry emphasized that Paris is not putting forth its own plan but rather focusing on supporting any diplomatic path that could open the door for direct talks between the two sides.