Top US officials have returned to the Middle East to try to reach an agreement to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed great confidence about a possible deal.
Brett McGurk, President Biden's liaison in the Middle East, and Amos Hochstein, who led the negotiations in the conferences with Hezbollah, are in Israel where they will be discussed with the country's authorities, although it is not clear whether any progress can be made before the US. presidential election, next week.
Since the conflict escalated over the past five weeks, Israel has launched widespread airstrikes in Lebanon and ground attacks on areas near the border.
At least 2,200 people have been killed in the country, according to Lebanon's health ministry, and 1.2 million have been left homeless, most of them Shia Muslims, widening sectarian tensions and adding pressure to already strained public services after years of economic hardship.
The Israeli government says its aim is to reform the security situation at the border and ensure the return of approximately 60,000 civilians who were displaced by Hezbollah's rocket, missile and drone attacks.
On Wednesday, Israeli public broadcaster Kan published what it said was a draft agreement, drafted by Washington and dated Saturday, to end the 60-day period.
Israel will withdraw its forces from Lebanon within the first week of the agreement, and Lebanese troops will be deployed along the border. During the break, Hezbollah will end its armed presence in the area.
The aim is to pave the way for the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
The document, among other things, called for the removal of all armed groups, including Hezbollah, from the area south of the Litani River, which is 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Only the UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFLL and the Lebanese army would be allowed there.
Israel, however, does not believe that the Lebanese army and the UN peacekeepers will be able to stop Hezbollah from the border, it is reported that it wants to be given the right to strike this group if necessary after the end of the war. This demand is likely to be rejected by the Lebanese authorities, who say that there should be no changes to Resolution 1701.
When asked about the document reported by Kan, White House national security spokesman Sean Savett said there are “many reports and draft documents” that “do not reflect the current state of negotiations”. However, he did not answer the question of whether that document was the basis for further statements.
Hezbollah, a powerful military and political group armed and financed by Iran, is facing domestic pressure over the deal, particularly from critics who say the group has drawn Lebanon into a conflict it did not intend.
Israeli bombings killed most of Hezbollah's leadership, including longtime king Hassan Nasrallahand brought great destruction to the southern areas of Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley and the southern areas of Beirut, where the group holds power.
This group started its campaign after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 last year, and it has long said that its attacks will continue unless there is a ceasefire in Gaza. It is not clear whether it will be willing to change its position.
On Wednesday, Naim Qassem made his first speech as the new secretary-general of Hezbollah, in which he said that the group would continue its war program under his leadership, but could agree to an agreement under certain conditions. So far, he said, Israel has not presented a negotiable proposal.
As he speaks, Israel launched a powerful air attack on the historic city of Baalbekin the Bekaa valley, in what could indicate an increase in its military campaign against the group in a key area near the border with Syria.
Hours later, in an interview with the Lebanese television Al Jazeed, Mr. Mikati said that he had “great hope” after a call with Mr. Hochstein, who visited Lebanon last week, saying that the shooting may end “in the coming hours or days”.
However, it was not clear whether an agreement could be reached before the American presidential election on Tuesday, as reports say that the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was waiting for the result of the vote before making a decision.
American officials are also trying to reach an agreement to end the fighting and release hostages between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The White House said CIA Director William Burns will travel to Cairo on Thursday to speak.
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