The US special envoy for the Middle East, Amos Hochstein, told the Israeli ambassador in Washington, Yehiel Laiter, on Saturday that if Israeli authorities do not support a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon in the coming days, he will stop being a mediator. in the negotiations, reports the Axios journalist. Barak Ravid with link to source.
“U.S. President Joe Biden’s top adviser, Amos Hochstein, told Israel’s ambassador in Washington on Saturday that if Israel does not respond positively in the coming days to a proposed ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, he will abandon mediation efforts. “ — Ravid wrote on social network X, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter.
The journalist added, citing an unnamed senior Israeli official, that Israel is “getting closer” to accepting a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon. Anonymous US officials confirmed that the parties were close to agreeing to the agreement, but that there was still “a lot of work” on the matter.
Last Tuesday, Hochstein arrived in Beirut on an official visit to hear the position of Lebanon and Hezbollah on the points of the agreement proposed by the US side for a ceasefire with Israel. On Wednesday Hochstein stated that during negotiations with the president of the Lebanese parliament Nabihom Berry “some success” was achieved. After his visit to Beirut, Hochstein held talks in Tel Aviv.
Secretary General of Hezbollah Naim Kasem On November 20, he stated that the movement agrees to continue indirect ceasefire negotiations with Israel on the basis of the US proposal and through the mediation of the president of the Lebanese Parliament, subject to the total cessation of hostilities by the Israeli army and the preservation of the Lebanese forces. sovereignty without the possibility of the Israeli side invading the country’s airspace and violating land or sea borders. Kassem also highlighted the resistance’s decision to continue military operations against the Israeli army in parallel with the current ceasefire negotiations, RIA Novosti recalls.
