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

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

A Lebanese official told AFP Saturday that it was preparing to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel in a bid to stop the war with Hezbollah.

Earlier Saturday, US news site Axios cited three sources in a report saying that France had drawn up a proposal to end the war, one that involved Lebanon recognising the state of Israel.