BEIRUT – Lebanon and Hezbollah have accepted a US proposal for a cease-fire with Israel, although they have some reservations about its terms. The official called the initiative the most serious yet to put an end to the conflict.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s adviser Ali Hassan Khalil claimed that White House envoy Amos Hochstein was heading to Beirut to continue negotiations after Lebanon sent a formal answer to the US ambassador in Lebanon on Monday.
Israel did not immediately respond.
Iran’s heavily armed Hezbollah movement supported Berri, a longtime ally, in his peace negotiations.
Khalil stated, “Lebanon presented its comments on the paper in a positive atmosphere,” but he would not elaborate. “All the comments that we presented affirm the precise adherence to (UN) Resolution 1701 with all its provisions,” he added.
He was alluding to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which put an end to a 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
It stipulates that Hezbollah must not establish an armed presence in the region between the Litani River, which flows about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Lebanese-Israeli border.
Israel was now crucial to the initiative’s success, according to Khalil, who claimed that “it could make 100 problems” if Israel did not desire a solution.
Israel has consistently maintained that Resolution 1701 was never executed correctly, citing the existence of Hezbollah weaponry and fighters along the border. Israel has allegedly violated Lebanon’s airspace by flying airplanes there, among other things.
The statement from Khalil that Israel was attempting to talk “under fire” refers to the intensification of its bombardment of Beirut and the southern suburbs under Hezbollah’s hold. His words, “This won’t affect our position,” were clear.
