U.S. President Joe Biden and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on Israel to avoid a ground invasion of Lebanon, as the latter said France would provide support for the Lebanese army.
"I (...) urge Israel to refrain from any ground incursion and to cease-fire. I call on Hezbollah to do the same and to refrain from any action likely to lead to regional destabilization," Barrot told reporters while visiting Lebanon.
Israel has hit Lebanon with a two-week wave of attacks, eliminating Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and several commanders but also killing around 1,000 Lebanese civilians and forcing 1 million to flee their homes. Hezbollah has pledged to confront any Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon.
Asked by a reporter if he is aware of and comfortable with Israel beginning its operation, Biden said: "I'm more aware than you might know, and I'm comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now."
The president said he was on the phone for two hours on Saturday and Sunday to discuss the situation, after telling reporters Sunday that he would speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later in the day.
Biden said at the time that he would update reporters on the call, but to date no details have been provided. The White House has yet to issue a formal readout of the conversation.
Israeli broadcaster KAN reported Sunday that Israeli forces are preparing for a "limited" ground operation into Lebanon. The news outlet said the invasion is seriously being considered despite pressure from Washington, which is still pressing for a cease-fire.
Israeli officials have claimed that the potential invasion aims to establish a buffer security zone in southern Lebanon. Washington believes an agreement should be reached between Israel and Hezbollah to avoid a broader military confrontation.
The Washington Post newspaper reported Monday that Israel has informed the Biden administration of its intent to begin the invasion, which it said could happen "imminently," according to an anonymous U.S. official. Israeli forces began to carry out raids into Lebanon Monday, it added.
Since Sept. 23, Israel has launched massive airstrikes against what it calls Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, killing more than 960 people and injuring over 2,770 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Several Hezbollah leaders have been killed in the assault, including its leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,600 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.
The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.
