‘Hell Is Breaking Loose’: US, France Propose 21-Day Lebanon Ceasefire As UN Urges End To Violence – News18

France and the United States on Wednesday (local time) unveiled a proposal for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon as the death toll mounted from Israeli strikes against Hezbollah, raising fears of a Third Lebanon War. France presented the proposal during an emergency Security Council session amid reports that Israel is preparing to cross the Lebanese border for a ground operation.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the two Western powers were proposing a “temporary ceasefire” of 21 days “to allow for negotiations.” “It is urgent that all actors engage resolutely on a path of de-escalation,” Barrot told the UNSC during an emergency meeting it held on the Israeli-Hezbollah crisis.

‘Hell is breaking loose’

This emergency session came as Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi on Wednesday told his troops that the “jets flying overhead” towards Lebanon are there to “prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah.” According to BBC, the IDF is calling up two reserve brigades for “operational missions” in the northern parts of the country and positioning them closer to the Lebanese border.

During the UNSC meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and warned, “Hell is breaking loose.” Guterres urged the Security Council “to work in lock-step” to end the escalating violence between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants across the Blue Line in southern Lebanon.

“Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon” the UN chief warned, noting that the exchanges of fire along the UN-patrolled line of separation “have expanded in scope, depth and intensity.” Monday saw Lebanon’s bloodiest day in a generation, as Israel continues to bombard largely Hezbollah-controlled territory, doubling down on the devastating electronic device attacks which killed hundreds last week.

Israel said it welcomed diplomacy on Lebanon but vowed to pursue its goal of degrading Hezbollah. “We are grateful for all those who are making a sincere effort with diplomacy to avoid escalation, to avoid a full war,” Israel’s envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told reporters before entering the session. “We will use all means at our disposal, in accordance with international law, to achieve our aims,” Danon said.

‘Catastrophic consequences’

The violence comes after the failure to reach a ceasefire in Gaza where Israel for nearly a year has been seeking to wipe out Hamas. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Tehran, which in recent weeks has held back on retaliatory strikes on Israel after attacks targeting Iranian interests, may no longer be restrained.

“The region is on the brink of a full-scale catastrophe. If unchecked, the world will face catastrophic consequences,” he told reporters. Israel went ahead with the offensive in Lebanon despite repeated appeals by the United States to avoid a wider war. “Risk of escalation in the region is acute,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has made 10 trips to the Middle East since Hamas carried out the deadliest attack ever on Israel on October 7, 2023.

“The best answer is diplomacy, and our coordinated efforts are vital to preventing further escalation and to paving the path to greater peace and stability,” Blinken said as he met Gulf Arab counterparts at a New York hotel. Israel and Hezbollah have been skirmishing since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, but at a lower level.

Last week pagers and other handheld communications devices of Hezbollah exploded in an operation widely attributed to Israel. Hundreds have died and thousands have been displaced since Israel launched its strikes, with the Lebanese health ministry saying that another 72 people died on Wednesday. Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, told the Security Council he was concerned by deaths in Lebanon.

(With agency inputs)