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US special envoy Amos Hochstein speaks to the media after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, on Tuesday
The United States and France have spearheaded efforts for a ceasefire in the war, which escalated in late September after nearly a year of deadly exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli troops.
Israel expanded the focus of its operations from Gaza to Lebanon, vowing to secure its northern border to allow tens of thousands of people displaced by the cross-border fire to return home.
Since the clashes began with Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel, more than 3,544 people in Lebanon have been killed, authorities have said.
Most of the deaths have been recorded since late September, among them more than 200 children, according to the United Nations.
Following a meeting yesterday with Hezbollah-allied parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who has led mediation on behalf of the group, Hochstein told reporters he saw “a real opportunity” to end the fighting.
“I’m here in Beirut to facilitate that decision, but it’s ultimately the decision of the parties… It is now within our grasp.”
Berri told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat after the meeting that “the situation is good, in principle”, adding his team and representatives of the United States still had “some technical details” to settle.
Hochstein also met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and army chief Joseph Aoun during the visit.
A Lebanese official said Monday that his government had “a very positive view” of the truce plan.
Since expanding its operations to Lebanon in September, Israel has conducted extensive bombing campaigns primarily targeting Hezbollah strongholds.
The UN said yesterday that more than 200 children had been killed in Lebanon since Israel escalated its campaign.
Israel has also sent ground troops into southern Lebanon, where it said yesterday one soldier had been killed in combat and three others wounded.
Hezbollah has continued to launch rockets, drones and missiles into Israel almost daily.
Hezbollah said yesterday it had launched “a salvo of missiles” at the Glilot military intelligence base in the Tel Aviv suburbs.
It said it also attacked Israeli troops in four places in south Lebanon, including near the flashpoint town of Khiam.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) later said four Ghanaian peacekeepers had been wounded when a rocket, “fired most likely by non-state actors”, hit their base. (AFP)
