French foreign minister unveils proposal for 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon

France and the United States are working to hammer out a 21-day temporary ceasefire between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel to allow time for broader negotiations, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has said.

"A diplomatic solution is indeed possible. In recent days, we've worked with our American partners on a temporary ceasefire platform of 21 days to allow for negotiations," he told the 15-member UN Security Council on Wednesday.

He said the plan would be made public soon.

"We are counting on both parties to accept it without delay, in order to protect civilian populations and allow for diplomatic negotiations to begin," he said.

Barrot, who heads to Lebanon at the end of the week, said Paris had worked with the parties in defining the parameters for a diplomatic way out of the crisis under UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Demanding path

"It's a demanding path, but it is a possible path," he said.

Resolution 1701 - adopted following a month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 - expanded the mandate of a UN peacekeeping force, allowing it to help the Lebanese army keep parts of the south free of weapons or armed personnel other than those of the Lebanese state.

It has sparked friction with Hezbollah, which effectively controls southern Lebanon despite the presence of the Lebanese army.