War in the Middle East: Lebanon: Hope for a ceasefire “within days”

Lebanon’s acting prime minister, Najib Mikati, is hopeful of a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militia “within days.” Mikati told the Lebanese television channel Al-Jadeed. The US envoy for the Middle East, Amos Hochststein, informed him that he would travel to Israel again for discussions about such a possible ceasefire.

There was initially no confirmation from Hezbollah, Israel or the USA.

Parallel to the war in Gaza, Israel is also waging a war with the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Israel has been shelling them for a year, according to its own statements, in support of the Islamist Hamas in Gaza, which carried out a massacre in Israel on October 7th last year.

Mitaki outlines terms for ceasefire

The conditions for a ceasefire are the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, the stationing of the Lebanese army in the south and the consolidation of its presence in the border area, Mikati said, according to the Al-Jazeera news channel. “We’re ready,” Mikati said.

Details from an alleged US proposal for a ceasefire agreement, which several Israeli media outlets reported unanimously in the evening, read similarly. Accordingly, the draft stipulates that Israeli soldiers will leave Lebanon within seven days after the end of hostilities, as the Kan 11 television station reported. Instead, a total of 10,000 soldiers from the regular Lebanese army are to be stationed along the border with Israel within the first 60 days after the agreement is signed.

Talks expected in Israel

The draft also reportedly stipulates that the Lebanese government should monitor all arms sales to Lebanon and arms production. Israel and Lebanon are also scheduled to hold negotiations on the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701 after 60 days. This calls for Hezbollah to withdraw behind the Litani River – about 30 kilometers from the border with Israel. The USA and other countries such as Germany should monitor the implementation of the agreement.

The draft, said to be by Amos Hochstein, was reportedly presented to the leadership in Israel. He has been trying for months to bring about a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah and is expected in Israel on Thursday. According to Israeli media reports, the White House’s Middle East coordinator, Brett McGurk, is also said to be involved in the talks.

Hezbollah Secretary General: Conflicts are interconnected

The new Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Kassim spoke again in a speech that the conflicts between Hamas and Israel and Hezbollah and Israel are linked. Hezbollah had previously stated that it would only agree to a ceasefire if there was an agreement in Gaza.

Hochstein said during his visit to Lebanon last week that he wanted to decouple the war between Israel and Hezbollah from other conflicts. “It was and is not in the interest of the Lebanese to link the future of Lebanon with other conflicts in the region,” Hochstein said after a meeting with parliamentary leader Nabih Berri, who is allied with Hezbollah. Berri said Hochstein’s visit was “the last chance (…) to come to a solution” before the US election.