Lebanon's official response to French de-escalation initiative with Israel

Shafaq News / Lebanon's Foreign Minister handed France's Ambassador to Lebanon a response, on Friday, to Paris' initiative aimed at de-escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, according to the state news agency.

Since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7 following an attack by Hamas on Israel, Hezbollah has opened a front from southern Lebanon in support of its Palestinian ally.

The Iran-backed party targets mainly Israeli army positions, which respond by shelling Lebanese territory and carrying out strikes against Hezbollah and Hamas officials in Lebanon.

In this context, France presented an initiative to Lebanon and Israel in January to defuse border tensions.

The National News Agency reported, "Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah Bouhabib received French Ambassador Herve Magro and handed him the official Lebanese response to the French initiative."

According to a French diplomatic source, the initiative relates to the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, which calls for limiting armed deployment in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The agency added, "The Lebanese response was that the French initiative is an important step towards achieving peace and security in southern Lebanon."

Bouhabib was quoted as stating, "The French initiative contains many good and acceptable points, and there are points that need further discussion."

The initiative calls for the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters and their allies from a 10-12 kilometers distance from the border and halting Israeli air violations.

It also proposes the establishment of a quadripartite committee comprising France, the United States, Israel, and Lebanon to monitor the cessation of hostilities.

Bouhabib added, "It is important for us to reach an agreement that provides complete and permanent stability to the southern borders."

Noteworthy, at least 322 people have been killed in Lebanon since the escalation began, most of them Hezbollah fighters, and at least 56 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

In Israel, ten soldiers and seven civilians were killed, according to the army.

Additionally, the mutual shelling has displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border.

Hezbollah, one of the most heavily armed groups in the world, is the strongest of Iran's allies in its "Axis of Resistance", which includes the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Iraqi forces, Houthis, and others.

The group's arsenal is a matter of concern for Israel.

Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the group possesses more than 100,000 rockets today, including missiles that can hit all areas of Israel.

All groups within the Axis have declared that their attacks will persist until a ceasefire is achieved in the Gaza Strip, where Israel's actions have resulted in the deaths of over 32,000 Palestinians, predominantly children and women.

The Israeli aggression has also displaced approximately 1.5 million people, leading to the destruction of infrastructure, hospitals, schools, and even UN facilities.

The United Nations reports that the Gaza Strip is currently experiencing famine conditions, exacerbated by Tel Aviv's rejection of humanitarian aid through Rafah.

Tragically, dozens of children, including newborns in Gaza have died of hunger so far.