The concerns come during the visit of the American envoy Amos Hochstein To Beirut, on Tuesday, he said that there was a “real opportunity” to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, noting that the decision to reach a ceasefire was “within our reach.”
Hochstein is still in Beirut, and may stay until Wednesday before heading to Israel.
And Monday he said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuIsrael will continue its military operations against Hezbollah “even if a ceasefire agreement is reached in Lebanon.”
Sky News Arabia sources reported that the American envoy held two technical meetings in Lebanon after his official meetings, stressing that “there is clear seriousness in reaching an agreement.”
Immediately after Hochstein announced that his talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who was tasked by the party to negotiate on his behalf, were “constructive,” Hezbollah announced in a statement an expected speech by its new Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Tuesday, but quickly confirmed its postponement.
Hochstein’s visit to Beirut comes after… Israel On September 23, it intensified its strikes in Lebanon through a massive air campaign targeting, in particular, Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburb of Beirut, and in the south and east of the country, and announced at the end of the same month the start of ground incursions into southern Lebanon.
After a nearly two-hour meeting with Berri, Hochstein told reporters: “It is the moment of decision-making. I am here in Beirut to facilitate decision-making, but in the end, the decision to reach a solution to the conflict is up to the parties” concerned.
“It is now within our reach,” he added.
C Hochstein described his talks with Berri as “very constructive,” explaining, “We continued to narrow the gaps through discussions over the past few weeks.”
Following his meeting with Berri, Hockstein visited Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who confirmed, according to his media office, that, “The government’s priority is to stop the fire and aggression against Lebanon and preserve Lebanese sovereignty over all Lebanese lands.”
A Sky News Arabia correspondent also reported that the Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun Hochstein was received in his office, in the presence of US Ambassador V LebanonThe research dealt with the general conditions in the country.
This came the day after an official source familiar with the communications confirmed to Agence France-Presse on Monday that Lebanon was responding “very positively” to a 13-point American ceasefire proposal, and was working on formulating “final observations” before conveying the response to the American side.
The official source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said on Monday: “It can be said that we have come a long way,” adding that “the trend is positive and Lebanon is dealing very positively with the proposal,” on which he is putting his “final comments” on it.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Monday that the United States had presented “proposals to both the Lebanese and Israeli governments. Both parties responded to the proposals we presented.”
He explained in a statement to reporters: “There was an exchange of ideas about the mechanism for fully implementing Resolution 1701 issued by the United Nations Security Council, which we believe is in everyone’s interest,” stressing that Washington is “committed to this process.”
And it states International Resolution 1701 On Israel’s complete withdrawal from Lebanon, strengthening the deployment of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and limiting the military presence in the border region to the Lebanese army and the international force.
Since the start of the bombing exchange between Hezbollah and Israel on October 8, 2023, at least more than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, and about 900,000 people have been displaced within the country.
