Lebanon’s message to US and Israel is – we are committed to resolution 1701, nothing more
Lebanon and Hezbollah say they are dealing with the US draft ceasefire proposal in a positive way, but they do have comments on its content.
According to an aide to the Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, those comments reaffirm the provisions of UN resolution 1701 adopted in 2006, following the last major war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s message is – we are committed to 1701, nothing more.
[US Middle East envoy Amos] Hochstein is in Beirut. He’s meeting Berri in an hour from now, but the last time he was in Beirut in late October, he did say that resolution 1701 was never implemented and that there is a need for a new enforcement mechanism, and that’s the major sticking point.
According to the US draft proposal, a Western-led committee would be formed to oversee the implementation of 1701. This is something that Lebanon is not accepting, saying there is already a tripartite committee in place.
[Israeli PM] Netanyahu on the eve of Hochstein’s arrival made clear that Israel wants to be able to act militarily against Hezbollah, even if there is a ceasefire in place.
This is a nonstarter for Lebanon. They see this as a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
Hochstein says Lebanon talks ‘constructive’
The US envoy is now giving a media briefing after his meeting in Beirut with Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
Amos Hochstein described the meeting as “constructive”, noting that they were continuing to “narrow the gaps” to reach a ceasefire deal. Speaking to the media in Beirut, Hochstein said a ceasefire “is now within our grasp” but ultimately it is “the decision of the parties to reach a conclusion”.
“As the window is now, I hope the coming days yield a resolute decision”, he added.
The US envoy said he would not take questions about the ceasefire talks because he does not “want to be negotiating this in public”.
Later today, he said, he will meet with Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and other top Lebanese officials. “I’m committed to doing everything I can to work with Lebanon’s and Israel’s government to bring everything to a close,” he said.
Hochstein meets Lebanon’s PM
Following his meeting with the Lebanese parliament speaker, US envoy Amos Hochstein has now met caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut.
During the talks, Mikati emphasised the need to reach a ceasefire and end Israel’s “senseless destruction of Lebanese towns”, according to a statement posted on his X account.
Mikati also stressed the government’s priority to return displaced Lebanese citizens to their homes, implement international resolutions and strengthen the Lebanese army’s authority in the south.
Translation: “During the meeting with US Presidential Envoy Amos Hochstein, I emphasised that the government’s priority is to implement a ceasefire and halt the aggression against Lebanon, as well as to preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty over all its territories. Any action that achieves this goal takes precedence.”
Israel to agree to ‘arrangement’ with Lebanon only if demands met
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has said “there are talks regarding an arrangement with Lebanon”, but reiterated that Israel would only agree if all its demands were met, including pushing Hezbollah away from the border.
Speaking at the Yedioth Ahronoth transportation and energy conference, Cohen said Israel would “make an arrangement only if all our demands are met”.
This “means pushing back Hezbollah, ensuring that Hezbollah cannot return and restore their strength, that the residents of the north can return safely to their homes, ensure that the IDF [army] and security forces have full freedom of action, not just in the event of an attack, but in the event they try to restore their strength”, he said.
Lebanon has rejected Israel being granted freedom of action. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said last week the US proposal for a ceasefire did not mention this point.
