Photo: US Middle East Envoy Amos Hochstein and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Beirut, August 14, 2024
US Middle East envoy Amos Hochstein said on Wednesday he believed war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah could be avoided, but that Israel and Hamas needed to urgently work to reach a peace deal on Gaza, Reuters reported.
Iran-backed Hezbollah launched cross-border attacks on Israel shortly after Israeli forces launched a military offensive into Gaza in response to Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Israeli fire, initially limited to Lebanon's border zone, has now targeted senior Hezbollah, Hamas and other groups in the north.
Hochstein arrived in Beirut on Wednesday to prevent an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel after Israeli forces killed a senior Hezbollah commander in a southern Beirut suburb last month.
“We continue to believe that a diplomatic solution is possible because we continue to believe that no one wants a full-scale war between Lebanon and Israel,” Hochstein said after talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally.
Hochstein said he discussed a framework agreement with Berri on a ceasefire in Gaza, adding that the agreement would also help bring about a diplomatic solution in Lebanon that would prevent an escalation of hostilities.
“He and I (Berri) agreed that there is no more time to lose and that neither side can justify further delay,” Hochstein said at a press conference.
He is also scheduled to meet with Lebanon's interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mikati said talks with Arab and Western leaders had intensified due to the seriousness of the situation in Lebanon and the region.
Asked by a reporter whether Israel and Hezbollah could avoid war, Hochstein replied: “I hope so, I believe so.”
Prepared by: Sergei Daga