By Axios | Created at 2024-09-26 01:29:25 | Updated at 2024-09-30 07:33:47
4 days ago
President Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling on Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a temporary ceasefire during which negotiations could take place on a diplomatic solution to the crisis on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Why it matters: The statement — released after 10 days of intense fighting that has killed more than 700 people in Lebanon — is aimed at stopping the escalation and particularly at preventing a possible Israeli ground invasion of southern Lebanon to push Hezbollah militants away from the border.
Driving the news: On Wednesday, Axios reported the Biden administration is working with France and several other countries on a new diplomatic initiative for a "pause" in the fighting in Lebanon and a resumption of negotiations on a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.
- Biden and Macron met on Wednesday in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and discussed the diplomatic initiative.
- On Wednesday evening they published the joint statement calling for a ceasefire.
What they're saying: "It is time for a settlement on the Israel-Lebanon border that ensures safety and security to enable civilians to return to their homes," the statement said.
- "The exchange of fire since October 7th, and in particular over the past two weeks, threatens a much broader conflict, and harm to civilians," it continued.
- "We therefore have worked together in recent days on a joint call for a temporary ceasefire to give diplomacy a chance to succeed and avoid further escalations across the border."
- Australia, Canada, European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar endorsed the call for a ceasefire.
Behind the scenes: Discussions of the new initiative started after a phone call on Monday between White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, U.S. and Israeli officials said.
- Over the last two days, the U.S. has been discussing the idea with France, Israel, Lebanon and several other Arab countries, a U.S. official and a European diplomat said.
- Secretary of State Anonty Blinken spoke several times over the last 48 hours with his French counterpart and the two exchanged drafts of a possible statement calling for a ceasefire, U.S. officials said.
- At the same time Biden's advisers Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk worked with Macron's team, U.S. officials said.
- A U.S. official said that on Wednesday morning Blinken met with the foreign ministers of the Gulf countries and discussed the situation in Lebanon.
- After the meeting, Blinken pulled the Saudi and the Qatari foreign ministers aside for separate one-on-one meetings and got them to support the U.S.-French initiative, the U.S. official said.
