American special envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Lebanon on Tuesday for ceasefire talks with the authorities. At present, America and France have led the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, and Hochstein has come to Lebanon as the leader, according to sources. The airstrikes in Lebanon took place on September 23, almost a year after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hezbollah, backed by its Palestinian ally Hamas, which began the war in Gaza.
A Lebanese official said that the government has a positive view of the US ceasefire proposal, while another official said that Lebanon is awaiting Hochstein’s arrival to review with him at a set point. In announcing the visit to Lebanon, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Washington is coordinating with the Lebanese and Israeli governments on the set proposals.
Miller said that the United States is pushing for the “full implementation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which requires the withdrawal of all forces from Lebanon, except for the Lebanese and UN forces. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that despite the agreement, Israel will prevent the group from rebuilding and take action against Hezbollah.
Earlier, a Lebanese official said that US Ambassador Lisa Johnson discussed the plan with Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Hezbollah-allied parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday. If there is an agreement, the United States and France will issue a joint statement. He said that after the 60-day ceasefire, Lebanon will redeploy troops to the southern border area near Israel.
Lebanese officials say more than 3,510 people have been killed in the region since clashes began in October last year, the highest number since the end of September.
