The United States and France issued a joint request for a 21-day cease-fire along the Israel-Lebanon border on Wednesday. The goal is to allow time for negotiations toward a more lasting peace deal between Israel and Hezbollah.

The United States and a group of partner nations are calling for a 21-day cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

The United States is working to broker a short-term cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah in the hopes that it could avert a wider war.

The 12-strong bloc said the situation between Israel and Hezbollah presented an "unacceptable risk" of broader escalation.

US, France lead call for 'immediate' 21-day cease-fire across the Lebanon-Israel border as threat of wider war looms

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

The 11-strong bloc has proposed an immediate 21-day pause in fighting "to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement" and a ceasefire in Gaza. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Israel took steps to prepare for a ground invasion of Lebanon Wednesday as the U.S., France and other European and Arab nations scrambled to prevent a full-scale war, proposing an "immediate 21-day cease-fire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy.