France has drafted a proposal aimed at ending the war in Lebanon that would require Beirut to take the unprecedented step of recognizing Israel, Axios reported on Saturday, citing three sources familiar with the plan.

The proposal, which Israel and the United States are currently reviewing, would open the door to negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on a political framework intended to halt the fighting and lay the groundwork for a broader settlement.

Lebanon’s government has accepted the plan as a basis for potential peace talks, alarmed by fears that the renewed conflict could cause severe devastation across the country, the sources said.

Under the French proposal, Israel and Lebanon would begin negotiations, with support from Washington and Paris, on a “political declaration” to be finalized within one month. Talks would initially be conducted by senior diplomats before advancing to the level of top political leaders.

French officials hope the negotiations would take place in Paris, according to the sources.

The proposed declaration would include Lebanon’s initial recognition of Israel and a pledge by the Lebanese government to respect Israel’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Both sides would also reaffirm their commitment to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, as well as the ceasefire agreement reached in 2024.

As part of the plan, the Lebanese government would commit to preventing attacks on Israel from its territory and implementing its own strategy to disarm Hezbollah and prohibit the group’s military activities.

The proposal also calls for the Lebanese Armed Forces to redeploy south of the Litani River. In parallel, Israel would withdraw within a month from territories it has captured since the start of the current war, the sources said.

Israel and Lebanon would also pledge to rely on the U.S.-led monitoring mechanism to address ceasefire violations and potential threats.

Under the plan, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) would verify Hezbollah’s disarmament south of the Litani River. A separate coalition of countries operating under a mandate from the U.N. Security Council would oversee the group’s disarmament in the rest of Lebanon.

The proposal further envisions Lebanon declaring its readiness to open negotiations on a permanent non-aggression agreement with Israel.

Such an agreement, which sources said could be signed within two months, would formally end the state of war that has existed between the two countries since Israel’s founding in 1948. It would also commit both sides to resolving disputes through peaceful means and establishing security arrangements.

Once the non-aggression agreement is concluded, Israel would withdraw from five positions in southern Lebanon that Israeli forces have controlled since November 2024.

The final phase of the French initiative would involve demarcating the border between Israel and Lebanon — as well as the border between Lebanon and Syria — by the end of 2026.

However, France’s foreign ministry on Saturday said there was “no French plan” to end the fighting between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

“France has supported the Lebanese authorities’ openness to direct talks with Israel and has offered to facilitate them,” the ministry said in a statement sent to AFP.

“But it is for the parties, and only the parties, to set the agenda for these talks,” it added.