France, which casts itself as a key defender of Lebanese interests, was on a diplomatic tightrope Monday after Beirut rejected a Franco-American draft resolution aimed at ending almost a month of bloodshed.

Late on Monday Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Paris had asked the United States to alter a draft UN resolution drawn up by France and Washington on the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in order to make certain changes to take into account Lebanese concerns.

Among the changes are inclusion of a demand that Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon, he told France 3 television.

"We are saying to the Americans: 'Let's not submit this resolution until we have taken on several amendments by the Arab League, in any case, the Lebanese government'," the minister said.

"That is the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon as well as being more precise about the Shebaa Farms region," he said.

"We think that we can go much further," he said.

Lebanon has called for the text to be amended to order an immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory once hostilities end.

"This draft resolution is a big disappointment for the Lebanese," warned Michel Bounajem, Paris correspondent of the London-based Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat earlier on Monday.

"In Beirut people think France should have fought harder and stuck to its earlier demands."

Paris broke ranks with Washington in the early stages of the conflict by calling for restraint in the Israeli offensive against Hezbollah militias -- and is now seen by Lebanon as having caved in to U.S. pressure.

"France has been put in a delicate position by its change of direction over the Lebanese affair," said Barah Mikail of the Paris-based Institute of International and Strategic Relations.

"It is caught between its wish to stay aligned with the United States and its wish to be the one to persuade Lebanon of the way out of the crisis."

"France is able to talk to all sides, it acts as a bridge between people who do not communicate with each other," said Francois Gere, of the French Institute of Strategic Analysis. But he warned that this pivotal position -- used in order to carry weight in the conflict -- risks leaving Paris "caught between a rock and hard place."

Douste-Blazy said France in the discussions over the resolution was "a balancing point between, on one side, moderate Arab countries, and on the other, Israel and the Americans".

Lebanon was ruled by a League of Nations mandate under French administration from 1920, before becoming independent in 1943. Submitted to the United Nations at the weekend, the original French-U.S. draft calls for "a full cessation of hostilities based upon, in particular, the immediate cessation by Hezbollah of all attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations."

Lebanon says the text falls well short of its demands: it does not call for an immediate ceasefire, for an immedate withdrawal of Israeli troops or for guarantees on the return of the Israeli-occupied Shebaa farms.

Douste-Blazy had Sunday urged Lebanon to "accept its responsibilities" to end the conflict -- a sharp contrast with comments he made last week speaking of a "strong convergence of views" between Paris and Beirut.

Seeking to shore up support from Arab leaders, Douste-Blazy held consultations at the weekend with his counterparts from Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as well as with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.