French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot told the UN Security Council that France and the United States made important progress on their proposal for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Barrot said that they “are counting on both parties to accept it without delay, in order to protect civilian populations and allow for diplomatic negotiations to begin.” It comes amid fears of further escalation between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group that appears to be pushing the Middle East closer to an full-fledged war. Earlier on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the …