NEAR TEL AVIV, Israel, March 20 (Reuters) - France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said he did not see an obvious end to the conflict in the Middle East in the short-term, but that France and its allies would continue to work towards trying to find a lasting solution.

“There is no obvious short-term way out of the ongoing regional escalation, which has in some ways been unfolding since October 7, 2023. But this must in no way serve as a pretext for inaction,” Barrot told reporters after meeting with Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar in Tel Aviv.

After visiting Lebanon on Thursday, Barrot said he had outlined Paris’ reservations about a possible Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon, but said the Lebanese army had to do everything possible to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah as demanded by the Lebanese government.

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell and John Irish; Writing by Gianluca Lo Nostro; Editing by Makini Brice)