The United States (U.S.) has requested that Lebanon declare a unilateral ceasefire with Israel to revive stalled negotiations aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, according to a senior Lebanese political source and a top diplomat – a claim that Lebanon’s prime minister has denied.
They said U.S. peace mediator Amos Hochstein conveyed this effort to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati this week, as the U.S. intensified diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah group, which is backed by Iran.
In a statement, Mikati’s office denied that Washington had asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire. The statement said the government’s stance was clear in seeking a ceasefire from both sides and implementing United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the last round of conflict between the two adversaries in 2006. The U.S. embassy in Beirut did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sources stated that the U.S. is trying to persuade Beirut to take part in the initiative in negotiations, especially given the likelihood that Israel may continue its military operations, which have already claimed most of Hezbollah’s leadership and devastated much of the south of the country.
The Lebanese armed forces are not involved in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which began firing rockets at Israeli military positions a year ago in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas in Gaza.
Any attempt to reach a ceasefire would require a green light from Hezbollah, as the group has ministers in Lebanon’s government, and its members and allies hold a significant number of seats in the Lebanese parliament.
Diplomats are mediating with Hezbollah through the group’s ally, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Hezbollah has stated that it supports Berri’s efforts to reach a ceasefire, emphasizing that it must meet specific parameters, though no details were provided.
E.Dz.
