White House: Discussions on 21-day ceasefire agreement in Lebanon continue

The White House affirmed that their teams in New York have been working to coordinate a 21-day ceasefire agreement in Lebanon to reach a diplomatic settlement. White House Spokesperson Karine Jean Pierre said, in a press briefing late Thursday, that the White House and their allies, partners don't believe in "all-out war", adding "That's not what we want to see." She explained that the proposal "was a call for a temporary ceasefire to open up space for diplomacy, to achieve a deal that allows civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes safely and securely." She stressed that their teams in New York, where the 79th UN General Assembly meeting is taking place, are having continued discussions to achieve a ceasefire agreement. The White House stated, in a separate statement, that US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron agreed, during discussions on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, on the importance of a ceasefire between Israeli occupation an d Hezbollah to ensure the safety of civilians and enable them to return to their homes. They added, in a joint statement, that the exchange of fire between the two sides, especially during the past two weeks, threatens a much broader conflict, and harm to civilians, stressing the need to give diplomacy a chance to succeed and avoid further escalations across the border. The United States, Arab and Western countries called late Wednesday for an immediate ceasefire on the border between Lebanon and Israel for 21 days, and to proceed with a diplomatic settlement in accordance with Security Council Resolutions 1701 and 2735. The statement was endorsed by the US, Australia, Canada, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Qatar. Source: Kuwait News Agency