US and allies call for immediate 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah

lawmakers rush to ensure candidate safety just weeks before the US presidential election

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and his delegation watch Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon as he arrives during a meeting of the Security Council (Frank Franklin II/AP)

The US, France and other allies jointly called on Wednesday for an immediate 21-day ceasefire to allow for negotiations in the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that has killed more than 600 people in Lebanon in recent days.

The joint statement, negotiated on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, says the recent fighting is “intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation”.