Hezbollah probably ready to negotiate after Israeli attacks on Beirut

As Israel continues its massive attacks on Lebanon, Hezbollah indicates willingness to negotiate. According to government circles in Lebanon, the pro-Iranian Shiite militia sees a draft for a ceasefire with Israel put forward by the USA as a basis for further talks. Meanwhile, the Israeli military again carried out massive air strikes on the center of the Lebanese capital Beirut and the Gaza Strip. The EU foreign ministers want to discuss a possible change of course in dealing with Israel in Brussels today.

According to Lebanese government sources, Hezbollah sees the US proposal for a ceasefire with Israel as “an opportunity to reach a framework for an agreement.” But there is still a need for discussion for Hezbollah. She does not want to give the impression that she is unconditionally bowing to the demands of the Israelis. She fears that her reputation could be further diminished in the eyes of her supporters, who have already lost a lot in this war. Various media had reported on the possible US proposal.

Accordingly, Israel and Hezbollah should initially suspend their attacks for 60 days. The Israeli army is to leave Lebanon and Lebanese army soldiers are to be stationed at the border. Israel and Lebanon are also scheduled to hold negotiations on the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701 after 60 days. After the previous war in 2006, their goal was to end the fighting in the Lebanese-Israeli border area.

Hezbollah says it is shelling Israel in support of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which carried out a massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023 that killed around 1,200 people. The Israeli military responded with air strikes and a ground offensive, killing more than 3,000 people in Lebanon, according to official figures.

Israel continued its attacks on targets in Lebanon. The Lebanese state news agency NNA reported in the evening of an attack near the famous Mar Elias shopping street in Beirut. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that at least two people were killed. 13 others were injured.

Videos on social media showed large blocks of buildings collapsing as a result of rocket hits. Fires broke out and huge clouds of smoke and dust darkened the sky. People ran through the streets in panic. They were the first attacks in Beirut itself in almost a month. Most of the attacks in recent weeks had hit the southern suburbs.

Israel also attacked other targets in the north of the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian figures, almost 100 people were killed. An Israeli bomb struck a five-story apartment building in Beit Lahia, killing 72 people, the government press office in Gaza, controlled by the Islamist Hamas, said on Sunday. In the central coastal area, 24 more deaths were reported.

The information could not initially be independently verified. Israel’s army did not comment on the attack. The number of Palestinians killed since the war began at the beginning of October 2023 rose to 43,846. The information does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis called for an investigation into the accusation against Israel that the country is committing genocide with its war in the Gaza Strip. “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. It should be carefully examined to determine whether it meets the technical definition formulated by lawyers and international bodies,” the Italian newspaper La Stampa quoted one as saying new book by the head of the Catholic Church.

Israel has come under massive international criticism because of the many civilian casualties in the coastal strip and the catastrophic supply situation. A genocide lawsuit brought by South Africa against Israel is pending before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

In view of Israel’s actions in the Middle East, a possible change of course in dealing with the country is to be discussed at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU states today. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell now sees it as certain that Israel is violating human rights and international humanitarian law in its actions against Hamas and other terrorist organizations. He therefore suggests suspending regular political dialogue with the country for the time being. In addition, in the Spaniard’s opinion, the import of products from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories that are illegal under international law should be banned.

Decisions on the proposals are not expected at the meeting of foreign ministers. The reason is, among other things, the relatively Israel-friendly positioning of countries such as Germany, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic. However, EU officials point out that the discussion about sanctions already sends a clear political signal to Israel.

The Israeli military had already attacked the Ras Al Naba district in the heart of the coastal metropolis on Sunday morning. The Hezbollah spokesman was killed, the pro-Iranian organization confirmed. After the killing of Hezbollah’s leadership, Mohammed Afif became one of the organization’s few remaining publicly known faces and had recently led press conferences. Afif was also considered a confidant of Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel at the end of September.