US envoy Hochstein threatens to pull out of mediation efforts in Israel-Lebanon cease-fire talks

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein threatened to withdraw from efforts to mediate a cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon if Israel does not accept a U.S. proposal, Israel’s Channel 13 reported Sunday.

Hochstein told Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S., Michael Herzog, that the U.S. would pull out of the mediation process if Israel fails to respond positively to the cease-fire proposal, the broadcaster said.

Hochstein’s diplomatic efforts

Last Tuesday, Hochstein traveled to Beirut for a two-day visit, where he met with Lebanese officials. He then visited Israel, staying there until Friday. The U.S. is reportedly seeking a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, with Washington backing Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has conditioned any cease-fire on Israel’s ability to conduct military operations in southern Lebanon. This condition, presented last week, was rejected by Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who had reviewed the U.S. proposal.

On Wednesday, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said Hezbollah had submitted its comments on the U.S. proposal. He emphasized that the outcome now depends on Netanyahu’s willingness to negotiate.

“We are negotiating under two conditions: the complete cessation of Israeli aggression and the preservation of Lebanese sovereignty,” Qassem said.

War with Lebanon nearing end, Israeli official says

In a related development, Israel’s Channel 14 reported that an unnamed senior Israeli official said Israel is on the brink of ending the war in Lebanon, with an agreement expected in the coming days. The official added that any agreement would be temporary, leading to a permanent deal with Lebanon.

The official also indicated that Israeli forces would shift focus to operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Halting fighting in northern Israel, the official said, would restore economic stability and reopen airspace.

Israel has intensified airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon as part of a year-long conflict with the group, which escalated after the Gaza war began last year.

Lebanese health authorities report that more than 3,600 people have been killed, over 15,300 injured, and more than a million displaced since October 2023. Israel expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1, 2024.