dpa
Beirut
US Middle East mediator Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut on Tuesday in hopes of finalizing a ceasefire agreement that would end the war between Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
“There is an opportunity to reach a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and we continue to fill the gaps in the agreement,” Hochstein said following a nearly two-hour meeting at the residence of House Speaker Nabih Berri, who is negotiating on behalf of Hezbollah.
“I hope the coming days yield a resolute decision,” he said after refusing to take questions from journalists.
Berri said in an interview with the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper after his meeting with Hochstein that “the situation is good in principle, and what remains to be completed are some details.” Hochstein was expected to travel on to Israel for talks.
For weeks, details of an apparent US ceasefire proposal have been circulating in the media. According to Lebanese security sources, Israel and Hezbollah are to initially suspend their hostilities for 60 days. During this period, the Israeli military is to withdraw from Lebanon and Lebanese armed forces are to be deployed along the border. After 60 days, Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold negotiations on the full implementation of the 18-year-old UN resolution 1701.
The resolution gives sole authority to the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping troops for areas south of the Litani River, which separates Lebanon from the rest of the country. Hezbollah reportedly regards the US draft as a basis for further negotiations.
Since September, Israel’s military has massively expanded its attacks in Lebanon, where it says it is seeking to push Hezbollah back from its northern border so that residents can return to their homes. Fighter planes have bombed targets across the country and frequently in the suburbs south of Beirut.
