US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that negotiators have made “good progress” toward a deal that would bring a ceasefire in Israel’s offensive in Lebanon. The top US diplomat said that Washington was “working very hard” on concluding arrangements on a deal that would include the withdrawal of Hezbollah from the border region with Israel. “Based on my recent trip to the region, and the work that’s ongoing right now, we have made good progress on those understandings,” Blinken told reporters. “We still have more work to do,” he said, calling for a “diplomatic resolution, including through a ceasefire.” Two senior US officials, Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk, met yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that any deal on Lebanon must guarantee Israel’s security. Blinken called again for implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, dating from 2006, which calls for the disarmament of non-state groups in Lebanon and a full Israeli withdrawal from the country. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking alongside Blinken and their South Korean counterparts, said there was an “opportunity” in Lebanon. “We’re hopeful that we will see things transition in Lebanon in a not too distant future,” Austin said. Israeli attacks killed 45 people in Lebanon in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 2,865 since October 2023, the Lebanese health ministry said yesterday. Israeli strikes hit near east Lebanon’s main city of Baalbek and close to the southern city of Tyre yesterday, state media said, after Israel issued evacuation calls for both areas.
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