Emmanuel Macron has drafted a plan to end the war in Lebanon that would require Beirut to recognise Israel.
The French government hopes that a new framework that would also see Lebanon back the disarming of Hezbollah could pave the way for a peace deal, Axios reported.
Citing three people familiar with the matter, the US news website said the plan would see Israel and Lebanon agree to a “political declaration”, to be agreed within one month, which would include Lebanon’s initial recognition of Israel.
It comes as the US-Israeli confrontation with Iran intensifies, with Donald Trump calling for a global flotilla to head to the Gulf and force open the crucial shipping lane of Strait of Hormuz.
Lebanon is one of several Arab nations that have refused to recognise Israel.
Two days after the assassination of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, Tehran-backed Hezbollah entered the war by launching drones and missiles south of the border.
Israel has responded by launching air strikes at Hezbollah near the border and in the terror group’s stronghold of Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified since Wednesday when militants fired more than 200 rockets across the border in an apparently coordinated attack with Iran.
The conflict has seen 800,000 people displaced and more than 800 people killed, including 100 children.
The latest intervention by the French president seeks to halt escalation and prevent a major ground offensive by Israel in southern Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah’s operations.
It comes amid reports Israel planned to seize the entire area south of the Litani river and fears within the Lebanese government the war will devastate the country.
Israel and the US are said to be reviewing the French proposal, which is hoped will secure a historic peace deal and increase pressure to disarm Hezbollah.
The Lebanese government is said to have accepted the plan as a basis for peace talks and under the proposal Israel and Beirut would open negotiations with the support of the US and France.
A “political declaration” would be agreed within one month and the negotiations would begin with senior diplomats before moving to political leaders.
Talks could take place in Paris and the proposed declaration would include Lebanon’s initial recognition of Israel and a commitment to respect the country’s sovereignty.
The two countries would also reaffirm their commitment to the UN resolution which ended the 2006 war as well as the ceasefire agreement following the 2024 conflict.
It would see the Lebanese government commit to preventing attacks on Israel from within its territory and its own plan to disarm Hezbollah.
Haaretz reported that the two countries were expected to hold direct talks in the coming days.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/14/lebanon-recognise-israel-for-peace-macron/
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