Lebanese speaker says understanding with US envoy reached, ball is now in Israeli Premier Netanyahu's court
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed Wednesday that Lebanon has reached an understanding with US envoy Amos Hochstein regarding a cease-fire with Israel, emphasizing that no changes have been made to the text of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
This statement counters recent Israel media reports claiming that Hochstein's recent visit to Beirut resulted in a modified version of Resolution 1701 to secure a cease-fire.
Adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, Resolution 1701 calls for a complete cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the Blue Line (the de facto boundary between Lebanon and Israel) and the Litani River, allowing only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) to possess weapons and military equipment in the area.
Berri told Saudi Arabia's Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that while Lebanon's official position remains cautious, it wants to clarify that the cease-fire framework established with Hochstein involves deploying the Lebanese army to the south as part of implementing Resolution 1701. “There is no intention to alter the text of Resolution 1701—what is written stands, and we are not changing even a single word,” he stressed.
The speaker noted that all cease-fire and deployment elements under Resolution 1701 are in place, with Lebanon now awaiting Hochstein's discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on what have been agreed upon.
- 'Ball is now in Netanyahu's court'
He confirmed that Lebanon is prepared to commit to the cease-fire once Hochstein and Netanyahu reach an understanding and emphasized the need for guarantees to implement the agreement. “The ball is now in Netanyahu's court,” Berri said.
Meanwhile, Israel's official broadcaster Kan reported that Hochstein and Brett McGurk, a senior adviser to the US president, are expected to visit Israel on Thursday to advance talks on a Lebanon cease-fire.
This visit comes amid what US officials have framed as promising progress toward ending hostilities, although a similar approach was recently attempted for Gaza without successful outcomes, with continued Israeli strikes on both fronts.
Analysts suggest that Washington's optimistic approach may be influenced by the upcoming US presidential elections in early November, despite the absence of similar sentiments from Lebanese officials.
Israel's Channel 12 reported Tuesday that Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is in discussions with the US administration to finalize a political settlement with Lebanon based on a proposal Hochstein presented during his recent visit to Beirut, which involves an adjusted version of Resolution 1701.
The channel indicated that the revised resolution could include a substantial multinational force deployment to prevent Hezbollah from reaching the border and establish a mechanism enabling Israeli action in case of renewed Hezbollah military buildup in the area.
This discussion of a possible cease-fire comes as Israel faces mounting military losses on the Lebanese front. Israel's Defense Ministry revealed on Tuesday that since the start of its ground operations in Lebanon in late September, it has treated approximately 900 wounded soldiers and officers.
Earlier Wednesday, Hezbollah's new Secretary-General Naim Qassem stated that the group would continue resisting Israeli aggression under the condition of “a cease-fire first” through indirect negotiations.
Israel launched a massive air campaign last month in Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets in an escalation in a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and the group since the start of Israel's brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip.
More than 2,800 people have been killed and nearly 12,900 injured in Israeli attacks since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.
Israel expanded the conflict by launching an incursion into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.
