French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that US-led efforts for a truce between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have created the chance for a lasting ceasefire, calling on both sides to accept a deal on the table.

“There is a window of opportunity that’s opening for a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon that would allow the return of those displaced, ensure the sovereignty of Lebanon and the security of Israel,” he told Europe 1 radio.

“I call on all sides with whom we are in close contact to seize this window.”

A Hezbollah official said on Wednesday that any US-brokered ceasefire deal between the group and Israel must end fighting swiftly and must preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty, an apparent reference to Israel’s stance that it will keep striking the Iran-backed group even with a truce in place.

Speaking to Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV, Mahmoud Qmati said that he was neither overly optimistic nor overly pessimistic about the prospects of a truce.