Hezbollah has agreed to a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire with Israel, though they have attached some remarks regarding the details of the proposal, according to a senior Lebanese official. The official described the move as the most serious attempt yet to bring an end to the ongoing conflict.
Ali Hassan Khalil, an aide to Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, confirmed that Lebanon had submitted its formal response to the U.S. ambassador in Beirut on Monday. Additionally, White House envoy Amos Hochstein is scheduled to visit Beirut to further discuss the matter.
There has been no immediate response from Israel regarding the development.
Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group, has expressed its backing for Berri to handle the negotiations concerning the ceasefire.
“Lebanon presented its comments on the paper in a positive atmosphere,” Khalil stated, though he refrained from disclosing any further specifics. “All the comments that we presented affirm the precise adherence to (UN) Resolution 1701 with all its provisions.”
Khalil was referring to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which marked the conclusion of a previous war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. The resolution’s terms specifically require Hezbollah to stay out of the area between the Lebanese-Israeli border and the Litani River, located about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border—a stipulation that the group has violated from the outset.
According to Khalil, the success of the ceasefire initiative now hinges on Israel’s response. He warned that if Israel were uninterested in a solution, it “could make 100 problems.”
He also remarked that Israel was attempting to negotiate “under fire,” referring to an intensification of its airstrikes on Beirut and the southern suburbs controlled by Hezbollah. “This won’t affect our position,” Khalil added.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Recent Comments