On Sunday, November 17, Hezbollah sent its response to the American proposal to the US Embassy in Beirut. In the near future, the US side will reconsider this response and convey it to Washington. The US special representative, Amos Hochstein, is expected to arrive in Beirut on Tuesday, November 19, to continue talks.
A meeting between the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, and the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, is scheduled for Monday, at which Hezbollah’s position will be announced. According to Lebanese sources, the response from the Islamist organization is generally positive. However, Lebanese leaders intend to eliminate ambiguous language in the negotiations, which could complicate the process, as the American side prefers to use the tactic of “positive ambiguity” to avoid sensitive issues at the initial stage.
Serious disagreements remain over the mechanism for monitoring the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Israel insists on the IDF’s right to take military action in case of violations of the resolution that threaten its security. These demands provoke harsh criticism from Hezbollah and do not find support among the Lebanese authorities.
Meanwhile, the IDF continues to carry out intense attacks against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, increasing the frequency of attacks against neighborhoods in Beirut, Tire and Baalbek. In the last 24 hours alone, more than 160 goals were achieved. Israel thus makes it clear that it will continue to press if Hezbollah does not show willingness to reach an agreement.
Amid the ongoing negotiations, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri expressed cautious optimism, noting that the United States is serious about seeking a ceasefire and that the Israeli side might also be interested in ending the conflict. However, reaching a final agreement will not be easy, given the complexity of the current situation and the contradictory positions of the parties.
