BEIRUT (AFP): A US special envoy said he was in Beirut on Tuesday because he saw “a real opportunity” to end the Israel-Hezbollah war raging for two months after nearly a year of clashes.
On September 23, Israel began an intensified air campaign in Lebanon before sending in ground troops, nearly a year into exchanges of fire initiated by Hezbollah in support of Palestinian ally Hamas after its October 7, 2023 attack sparked the war in Gaza.
“I came back because we have a real opportunity to bring this conflict to an end,” Amos Hochstein told reporters after meeting Hezbollah-allied parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who has led mediation on behalf of the group.
“This is a moment of decision making. I’m here in Beirut to facilitate that decision, but it’s ultimately the decision of the parties to reach a conclusion to this conflict,” he said.
“It is now within our grasp,” he added.
He was later expected to meet Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
The United States and France have spearheaded efforts for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war.
“We’ve had just now very constructive talks with Speaker Berri, and we have continued to narrow the gaps through the discussions over the last few weeks,” he said.
A Lebanese official had told AFP on Monday that the government had a positive view of a US truce proposal, while a second official said Lebanon was waiting for Hochstein’s arrival to “review certain outstanding points with him.”
On Monday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Washington had been sharing proposals with Lebanon and Israel, which had both reacted to the plan.
Miller said the US was pushing for “full implementation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war and requires all armed forces except the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers to withdraw from the Lebanese side of the border with Israel.
It also requires Israeli troops to withdraw from Lebanon.
