US, France, allies call for 21-day truce for Israel and Hezbollah

The European Union, the United States, France and eight other nations called Wednesday for an immediate 21-day cease-fire along the Israel-Lebanon border, saying the conflict there "is intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation."

A joint statement said the cease-fire would allow for negotiations toward a diplomatic settlement consistent with existing United Nations Security Council resolutions that call for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group, as well as implementing a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar also joined the cease-fire call, which said a broader regional conflict "is in nobody’s interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon."

"We are then prepared to fully support all diplomatic efforts to conclude an agreement between Lebanon and Israel within this period, building on efforts over the last months, that ends this crisis altogether," the statement said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told the Security Council earlier Wednesday he would head to Beirut later this week to work with local stakeholders on a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.

The developments come after some of the deadliest days in Lebanon since its civil war ended in the early 1990s.

Israel’s military said Thursday it carried out airstrikes on 75 Hezbollah targets in southern and eastern Lebanon, including weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers.

Lebanese health officials said Israeli strikes killed 50 people on Wednesday, bringing the death toll since Monday to 615 people, with more than 2,000 wounded.

"To all sides, let us say in one clear voice: stop the killing and destruction. Tone down the rhetoric and threats. Step back from the brink," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council Wednesday. "An all-out war must be avoided at all costs. It would surely be an all-out catastrophe."

Ground invasion?

Israel’s army chief said Wednesday his troops should be prepared for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon, as Israeli fighter jets bombarded Hezbollah militant targets for a third straight day and the militants launched a ballistic missile targeting the headquarters of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency near Tel Aviv, which Israel shot down.

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister traveled to New York to attend the Security Council meeting.

"Israel is violating our sovereignty by sending their war planes and drones to our skies; by killing our civilians, including youth, women and children; destroying homes and forcing families to flee harsh humanitarian conditions," Najib Mikati said. "Furthermore, they are spreading terror and fear among the Lebanese citizens in full view of the world, which is watching idly."

He rejected Israeli assertions that they are only targeting Hezbollah militants and assets, noting that the country’s hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties. Mikati appealed to the Security Council for action.

"I am here today hoping to come out of this session with a serious solution, based on the joint efforts of all the members of the Security Council to put pressure on Israel to achieve an immediate cease-fire on all fronts and to restore stability and security to our region," Mikati said. "The Lebanese people reject the war."

Israel’s ambassador said his government does not seek a full-scale war and is open to a diplomatic solution. Danny Danon said Israel is only doing what any other country would do if their citizens were under threat.

"Since October 8, 70,000 civilians have been forced to flee homes. They have been made refugees [in their] own country," Danon said. "They do not know when they will be able to return home, restart their lives, or when their children can go back to their schools."

Hezbollah broke a relative calm along the border after Hamas’ October 7 terror attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war. Israel says Hezbollah has fired nearly 9,000 rockets at communities in northern Israel since then. The militant group says it is acting in solidarity with Palestinians and its fellow Iran-backed ally, Hamas. The fighting has killed 49 people in Israel, along with hundreds in Lebanon, and displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border.

Israel also said it has activated reserve troops in response to the fight against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.

Iran’s foreign minister is in New York for the General Assembly.

"Iran will not remain indifferent in case of a full-scale war in Lebanon," Abbas Araghchi told reporters. "We stand with the people of Lebanon, with all means."

Still time for diplomacy

In Washington, military officials insisted there is still time for diplomacy and de-escalation.

"It doesn't look like anything is imminent," Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said when asked about the prospects of a major Israeli ground operation against Hezbollah.

"We want to see a diplomatic solution, and we want to see it urgently," Singh added, noting that the U.S. military is not providing Israel with any intelligence or military support for its operations in Lebanon.

She said discussions with Israel have been constant and Washington believes "that Israel is listening."

U.S. officials did voice concern that the fighting, combined with miscalculations and missteps, could bring on a bigger, more dangerous conflict.

"An all-out war is possible," President Joe Biden told the ABC talk show The View.

"What I think is, also, the opportunity is still in play to have a settlement that could fundamentally change the whole region," he said.

The war in Gaza began with Hamas' October 2023 attack on southern Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. They are still holding around 100 captives, one-third of whom are believed to be dead.

Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks have killed more than 41,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, with the Israeli military saying the death toll includes thousands of Hamas fighters.

Hamas has been designated a terror group by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and others. Hezbollah also is a U.S.-designated terror group.

VOA U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer and national security correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.