US and Allies Urge 21-Day Ceasefire Along Israel-Lebanon Border Following UN Talks

Following heated talks at the UN on Wednesday, the US, France, and a number of allies demanded an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border and expressed support for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Per a senior Biden administration official, the ceasefire would extend to the Israel-Lebanon “Blue Line,” the border between Lebanon and Israel, and would facilitate talks towards a possible diplomatic settlement of the dispute.

A joint statement from the nations was made public by the White House and stated, “We call on all parties, including the governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary ceasefire immediately.”

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and the European Union were among the allies who signed the joint statement.

At least 72 people were killed when Israel increased the scope of its airstrikes in Lebanon on Wednesday, according to statements from the Lebanese health ministry compiled by Reuters. The ministry had earlier reported that 223 people had been hurt.

Fears that the conflict could lead to a wider Middle East war were raised by Israel’s military chief, who hinted at the possibility of a ground assault.

In an effort to lessen hostilities, Washington has been communicating with officials in Israel and Lebanon for the past few months, according to the senior White House official.

The official remarked, “We have had those discussions for quite some time,” and added that the goal of Washington and its allies during this 21-day ceasefire period was to turn those talks into a more comprehensive agreement.

According to the official, during this week’s UN General Assembly, Biden had brought up the subject of a possible ceasefire “in almost every conversation he had with world leaders”.

The official stated that the United States and its allies believed that now was the appropriate moment to request a ceasefire based on conversations with Israelis and Lebanese.

Prior to a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told reporters that his country would welcome a ceasefire and would prefer a diplomatic solution. He then informed the Security Council that Iran was the source of the violence in the area and that eliminating the threat was necessary for achieving peace.

Speaking to reporters prior to the council meeting, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that his nation was in favour of Hezbollah and would not stand by if the situation in Lebanon worsened.

The call for a ceasefire was welcomed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati of Lebanon, who stated that whether or not Israel is committed to upholding international resolutions will determine whether or not it is implemented. When questioned earlier if a cease-fire could be achieved quickly, Mikati replied to Reuters, “Hopefully, yes.”

Concern was expressed by world leaders that the conflict, which was escalating quickly as thousands of Palestinians fled their homes and the death toll in Lebanon increased, was paralleling Israel’s war in Gaza against Hamas militants who were also backed by Iran.

It was scheduled for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to land in New York on Thursday and give a speech to the UN General Assembly on Friday.