United States envoy Amos Hochstein says there is a “real opportunity” to bring the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel to an end as he visits Lebanon to discuss a ceasefire.
Hochstein made the remarks in Beirut on Tuesday after what he described as “very constructive talks” with Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, who has been endorsed by Hezbollah to negotiate a deal.
“This is a moment of decision-making. I am here in Beirut to facilitate that decision, but it’s ultimately the decision of the parties to reach a conclusion to this conflict. It is now within our grasp,” he said.
The administration of US President Joe Biden is making a last-ditch attempt for a truce as fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli military has escalated.
“As the window is now, I hope the coming days yield a resolute decision,” Hochstein said, but he would not take questions from journalists about the talks because he did not want “to be negotiating this in public”.
“I’m committed to doing everything I can to work with Lebanon’s and Israel’s government to bring everything to a close,” he added.
Berri told the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday that the agreement was “good in principle” but that some details, including technical details, still needed to be ironed out.
He said Hochstein would settle those details before travelling on to Israel and that Lebanon saw the US as the guarantor of the Israeli stance.
Meanwhile, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said at a conference on Tuesday that “there are talks regarding an arrangement with Lebanon”.
However, he reiterated that Israel would agree to the proposal only if all its demands are met, including pushing Hezbollah away from the Israel-Lebanon border.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday pledged to continue to “systematically operate” against Hezbollah even if a ceasefire is reached.
“This is a nonstarter for Lebanon. They see this as a violation of the country’s sovereignty,” Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reported from the Lebanese capital.
US Department of State spokesman Matthew Miller said on Monday that Washington had shared proposals with Lebanon and Israel and both had reacted to the plan.
The US was pushing for “full implementation” of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted after the last Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006, Miller said.
The resolution calls on Hezbollah to pull back north of the Litani River, about 30km (18.6 miles) from the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel. It also says Israeli forces must withdraw from Lebanese soil and the Lebanese army should deploy in the south of the country alongside UN peacekeepers.
An aide to Berri told the Reuters news agency on Monday that both the Lebanese government and Hezbollah have agreed to the US proposal that was submitted in writing last week.
During a visit to Beirut in October, Hochstein said commitments to the UN resolution were not enough because it has failed to be implemented since its adoption 18 years ago. He called instead for a new enforcement mechanism to be set up.
“Statements we hear from Lebanese officials is that there is cautious optimism, but the reality is that there are major sticking points, especially concerning a Western-led committee that the US wants to create to oversee the implementation of UN Resolution 1701. This is not accepted by Lebanon,” Khodr said.
On Tuesday, emergency workers were still recovering bodies from the rubble after the latest Israeli attack on central Beirut, which killed at least five people. Hezbollah, meanwhile, launched a missile at Tel Aviv, wounding seven people.
“These attacks – as well as Israel’s ongoing ground offensive in southern Lebanon and the continued rocket fire from Hezbollah – are adding to scepticism of the prospects of a real ceasefire,” Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem said, reporting from Beirut.
At the same time, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said four Ghanaian peacekeepers were injured when a rocket that was most likely fired by “non-state actors” hit their base in southern Lebanon.
UNIFIL added that peacekeepers and facilities were targeted in three separate incidents on Tuesday.
In a sign of cracks in the mission’s unity, a UNIFIL spokesperson said Argentina had withdrawn its three officers from the forces, but did not say why.
At least 3,544 people have been killed and 15,036 wounded in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since the Gaza war began in October last year.
Israel’s war in Gaza has killed at least 43,972 Palestinians and wounded 104,008 since October 7, 2023.
