The leaders of the US and France have jointly called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon – a move that comes amid a rising death toll from Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.
Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York late Wednesday as they voiced fears that the conflict, after a year of bloodshed in Gaza, would escalate into a full-blown regional war.
The situation in Lebanon has become "intolerable" and "is in nobody's interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon", a joint statement released by the White House said.
"We call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement."
The statement was issued jointly with Western powers, Japan and key Gulf Arab powers – Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot earlier unveiled the proposal at an emergency Security Council session.
"There has been important progress in the past few hours," Barrot said.
"We've been working since the start of the week in New York on a diplomatic solution with our American friends in particular."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and warned that "hell is breaking loose".
Israel said it welcomed diplomacy on Lebanon but did not commit to a ceasefire, vowing 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."
The violence comes after the failure to reach a ceasefire in Gaza where Israel for nearly a year has been seeking to wipe out another Iranian ally, Hamas, which carried out the deadliest attack ever on Israel.
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.
Hezbollah holds powerful influence within long-turbulent Lebanon. The country's foreign minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, asked by reporters if a ceasefire was possible, said: "Hopefully yes."
(with newswires)
