Macron: Trilateral talks to ease Hezbollah-Israel tensions
Shafaq News/ French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States have agreed to set up a trilateral committee to discuss a roadmap for defusing tensions between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel.
The committee includes France, Israel, and the United States.
The announcement follows a recent surge in hostilities, with Hezbollah launching more than 250 rockets at Israel within two days in its largest attack since the conflict began on October 7.
Hezbollah's targeting was a response to an Israeli airstrike in the town of Jwaya, southern Lebanon, which killed four Hezbollah members, including the prominent commander, Taleb Sami Abdallah, also known as Abu Talib, the leader of Hezbollah's 'Victory' unit.
Lebanese sources stated that Abu Talib is the highest-ranking Hezbollah official to be assassinated since the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza and southern Lebanon.
The United States expressed concerns over a possible escalation between the two sides.
According to Reuters, a senior US official said the United States is very concerned that hostilities between the Israeli army and Hezbollah could escalate to a full-out war, adding that specific security arrangements are needed for the area. A ceasefire in Gaza is not enough.
"We have had consistent and urgent conversations at different times with Israel and Lebanon over the eight months, from the very beginning of this crisis ... to keep this from developing into a full-out war that could have implications to beyond elsewhere in the region," the official said.
