Senior US envoy presses for a diplomatic solution to Israel-Hezbollah conflict during talks in Beirut

Senior US envoy presses for a diplomatic solution to Israel-Hezbollah conflict during talks in Beirut
US special envoy Amos Hochstein (R) leaves the government palace in Beirut, accompanied by Lebanese protocal official Lahoud Lahoud (L), after his meeting with Lebanon's caretaker prime minister. (AFP)
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Updated 04 March 2024
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Senior US envoy presses for a diplomatic solution to Israel-Hezbollah conflict during talks in Beirut

Senior US envoy presses for a diplomatic solution to Israel-Hezbollah conflict during talks in Beirut
  • Temporary ceasefire is not enough, says presidential advisor Amos Hochstein, as he warns of risks should fighting continue to escalate

BEIRUT: Senior US envoy envoy Amos Hochstein said during a visit to Beirut on Monday that a diplomatic solution is the key to ending nearly five months of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel that broke out after the start of the war in Gaza.

Hochstein, a senior advisor to President Joe Biden, held meetings with Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and several other political figures.

His visit came amid escalating Israeli threats of a war against Lebanon to force Hezbollah to retreat, and to press Lebanese authorities to implement the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 with the aim of resolving the war that year between Israel and Hezbollah.

It also came amid further escalations in fighting along the southern Lebanese front, including reported attempts by Israel to infiltrate Lebanese territory and resultant confrontations with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah said “a hostile Israeli force attempted to infiltrate Lebanese territory in the Qatamoun Valley area opposite Rmeish on Sunday night and was targeted with rockets.”

An Israeli unit of the Golani Brigade reportedly tried to enter Lebanon from the direction of Khirbet Zarit, near the Lebanese town of Ramia, and Hezbollah responded by targeting the unit with a large explosive device.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah intensified strikes against Israeli sites. An attack on the Margaliot settlement left one person dead and 10 injured, two of them critically. According to the Israeli ambulance service, an anti-tank missile was fired at the settlement from Lebanon. Israeli media reported that the dead and injured were foreign workers.

In a separate incident, Hezbollah said they targeted “Zarait Barracks and its surroundings” early on Monday with artillery fire.

Elsewhere, the Israeli army reportedly fired shots in the air in the vicinity of farmers spraying crops near the town of Wazzani in Marjayoun district. Israeli forces also targeted the towns of Hula and Markab, overlooking Wadi Hunayn and the Margaliot settlement, with phosphorus and smoke bombs, and Israeli warplanes carried out raids on the outskirts of the town of Shihin.

Hochstein previously visited Beirut in January as part of US efforts to broker ceasefires in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities him to return in February, when he visited Tel Aviv, but that did not happen.

In the meantime there have been no dramatic shifts in the balance of military power in southern Lebanon, despite the growing intensity of confrontations and expansions of targets by both the Israeli army and Hezbollah.

Lebanese authorities have said Israel must fully implement the provisions of UN Resolution 1701 by halting attacks, addressing disputed border points, of which six remain, withdrawing from the occupied Shebaa Farms and Kfarchouba hills, and respecting international borders. Hezbollah has also linked the end of hostilities on the southern front to the end of Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.

On Monday, Hochstein noted that the friction along the border between Israel and Lebanon had increased in recent weeks.

“Escalation of violence is in no one’s interest and there is no such thing as a limited war,” he said after his meeting the Berri, who is an ally of Hezbollah. “A temporary ceasefire is not enough. A limited war is not containable.”

A truce in Gaza would not automatically trigger peace in southern Lebanon, he said, but he added that he remains “hopeful” that a diplomatic solution to the border conflict can be achieved.

“It does not necessarily happen that when you have a ceasefire in Gaza, it just automatically extends” to Lebanon, Hochstein said.

The US “remains committed to advancing lasting security solutions, achieved through a diplomatic process that will allow Lebanese residents to safely return to their homes, as well as allowing Israelis to return to their homes safely in northern Israel,” he added.

The aim of his visit was “to find a diplomatic solution to end the conflict on Lebanon’s southern borders” he said, adding: “Our position on the hostilities has been consistent and remains clear.”

Washington “believes a diplomatic solution is the only way to end the current hostilities along the Blue Line that will achieve a lasting, fair security arrangement between Lebanon and Israel,” Hochstein said.

“The people of Lebanon and Israel have the right to live in peace and prosperity. Let me acknowledge the global unity of this position.

“An important part of any understanding will include international support for Lebanon, for the Lebanese people and for strengthening its institutions, military, civilian and the economy. But this can only start when we can reach a way forward.”

The US continues to work with the government in Lebanon in pursuit of such a diplomatic solution that allows for prosperity and security, Hochstein said.

“What we want to see is a diplomatic solution here on the border … to ensure that there is a cessation of hostilities and that precautions are made so that everybody, on both sides of the line, can return to their homes safely and securely and have a future that is free of fear.”


Diplomatic incident in French-owned Jerusalem compound

Diplomatic incident in French-owned Jerusalem compound
Updated 4 sec ago
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Diplomatic incident in French-owned Jerusalem compound

Diplomatic incident in French-owned Jerusalem compound
JERUSALEM: Israeli police entered the French-owned Eleona church compound in Jerusalem, on Thursday, briefly detaining two gendarmes and prompting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to abandon a scheduled visit, an AFP journalist reported.
“I will not enter the Eleona Domain today, because Israeli security forces entered with weapons, without prior French authorization, without agreeing to leave today,” Barrot said at the scene, calling the standoff “unacceptable.”
France claims the sanctuary on the Mount of Olives as its territory under international treaties. It has been the focus of diplomatic incidents in the past.

Lebanon MPs demand UN protection of heritage sites from Israel attacks

Picture shows the destruction at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Baalbek in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley.
Picture shows the destruction at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Baalbek in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley.
Updated 14 min 45 sec ago
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Lebanon MPs demand UN protection of heritage sites from Israel attacks

Picture shows the destruction at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Baalbek in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley.
  • Appeal to head of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, followed Israeli strikes near ancient ruins in the southern city of Tyre and the eastern city of Baalbek in recent weeks

BEIRUT: More than 100 Lebanese lawmakers appealed to the United Nations on Thursday to ensure the preservation of heritage sites in areas heavily bombed by Israel during its war with Hezbollah.
The appeal to the head of the UN cultural agency, UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, followed Israeli strikes near ancient ruins in the southern city of Tyre and the eastern city of Baalbek in recent weeks.
“During the devastating war on Lebanon, Israel has caused grave human rights violations and atrocities,” the lawmakers said more than a month into the Israel-Hezbollah war.
“As parliamentarians, we bring to your attention an urgent need: the protection of Lebanon’s historic sites in Baalbek, Tyre, Sidon and other invaluable landmarks currently at risk due to the escalation of the atrocities,” it added.
“These cherished landmarks, treasured not only by our nation but by the world, face imminent risk as the war escalates.”
Lebanon is home to six UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Roman ruins in Baalbek and Tyre, where Hezbollah holds sway.
In Baalbek, Israeli strikes on Wednesday destroyed a heritage house and damaged a historic hotel near the city’s Roman temples, according to local authorities.
The strike hit just a few meters (yards) from the ruins, the closest since the start of the war, officials said.
“We are waiting for engineers from UNESCO and the Directorate General of Antiquities” to determine if there was any damage, Baalbek mayor Mustafa Al-Shall told AFP.
In Tyre, Israeli strikes have hit close to the city’s Roman ruins.
UNESCO said last month it was “closely following the impact of the ongoing conflict on the World Heritage site of Tyre,” using remote sensing tools and satellite imagery.
The Lebanese MPs called on Azoulay to “urgently prioritize the protection of these historic sites by mobilizing UNESCO’s authority, securing international attention, and advocating for protective measures.”
“This appeal goes beyond physical preservation; it is about safeguarding the traditions, stories and values these sites represent — legacies that connect our past to our future.”
Hezbollah and Israel have been at war since late September, when Israel broadened its focus from fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip to securing its northern border, even as the Gaza war continues.
Since September 23, more than 2,600 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, according to Health Minister Firass Abiad.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on Monday for a ceasefire “to protect our country’s cultural heritage, including the ancient archaeological sites of Baalbek and Tyre.”
He called on the UN Security Council to “take swift and decisive action to protect these historical treasures.”


Israel army tells north Gaza residents to leave ‘combat zone’

Israel army tells north Gaza residents to leave ‘combat zone’
Updated 49 min 52 sec ago
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Israel army tells north Gaza residents to leave ‘combat zone’

Israel army tells north Gaza residents to leave ‘combat zone’
  • “For your safety, move south immediately,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X
  • The latest call follows a series of evacuation orders for large swathes of the Gaza Strip’s north

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military called for the evacuation of several areas in northern Gaza on Thursday, again warning that Palestinian militants were launching rockets from there.
“We inform you that the designated area is considered a dangerous combat zone. For your safety, move south immediately,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X along with a map of the area in Gaza City’s northwest.
The latest call follows a series of evacuation orders for large swathes of the Gaza Strip’s north, where Israeli forces have intensified their operations since early October.
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told reporters that “we are isolating Gazan civilians away from Hamas terrorists so we can get to the terrorists” still in that area.
“Right now, there are residents of the northern part of Gaza who have been evacuated to safer places,” he added.


Greek tanker crippled by Houthi militants starts oil transfer

he Sounion caught fire and lost power after being attacked on August 21 off the coast of Hodeidah. (Aspides)
he Sounion caught fire and lost power after being attacked on August 21 off the coast of Hodeidah. (Aspides)
Updated 07 November 2024
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Greek tanker crippled by Houthi militants starts oil transfer

he Sounion caught fire and lost power after being attacked on August 21 off the coast of Hodeidah. (Aspides)

ATHENS: A Greek oil tanker crippled by Yemen’s Houthi militants and towed to avert an environmental disaster began transferring its cargo of over a million barrels on Thursday, the state-run ANA news agency said.
The Sounion caught fire and lost power after being attacked on August 21 off the coast of Hodeidah, a Houthi-held port city.
The following day its 25-strong crew was rescued. The rebels claimed to have detonated charges on the ship’s deck, sparking new fires.
ANA said the Sounion had begun transferring its cargo of 150,000 tons of crude to another tanker, Delta Blue, at a “safe anchorage” in the port of Suez.
“The vessel is at Suez, and as it’s at a safe anchorage, we are no longer monitoring it,” a source at Greece’s merchant marine ministry told AFP.
Citing ministry sources, ANA said the operation began on Thursday and will last between three and four weeks.
In September, EU maritime safety body Aspides said the Sounion was not under its protection at the time of the attack.
The ship’s original course “was a bit of a mystery,” the ministry source told AFP. “We were told it was heading from Iraq to Singapore. If that were the case, how did it end up in the Red Sea?“
The operation to tow the vessel to safety in September required a tugboat escorted by three frigates, helicopters and a special forces team, ANA said.
Had the vessel broken up or exploded, it could have caused an oil spill four times larger than that caused by the Exxon Valdez in 1989 off Alaska, experts had warned.
The EU naval force was formed in February to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by Houthis.
The Houthis have waged a campaign against international shipping to show solidarity with Hamas in its war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.
They have been firing drones and missiles at ships in the vital commercial route, saying they are targeting vessels linked to Israel, the US and Britain.
The United States, with the support of allies led by Britain, has carried out repeated air strikes on rebel bases in Yemen.


Lebanon says 3 killed, UN peacekeepers wounded in Israel strikes

Members of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force enter a bus at the site of an Israeli strike at the northern entrance of Sidon.
Members of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force enter a bus at the site of an Israeli strike at the northern entrance of Sidon.
Updated 07 November 2024
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Lebanon says 3 killed, UN peacekeepers wounded in Israel strikes

Members of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force enter a bus at the site of an Israeli strike at the northern entrance of Sidon.
  • Three Lebanese soldiers manning the checkpoint were also wounded alongside members of the Malaysian contingent of UNIFIL, according to the army

SIDON: The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike on a vehicle near a checkpoint in the southern city of Sidon on Thursday killed three people and wounded troops and UN peacekeepers.
“The Israeli enemy targeted a car while it was passing through the Awali checkpoint,” the main northern entrance to Sidon, the army said.
With the exception of a few limited strikes, Sidon, a Sunni Muslim-majority city, has been relatively spared the deadly air raids targeting south Lebanon in Israel’s war against the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
The strike killed three people, all of them passengers in the targeted vehicle, the army said.
Three Lebanese soldiers manning the checkpoint were also wounded alongside members of the Malaysian contingent of UNIFIL, according to the army.
The UNIFIL peacekeeping force said a “convoy bringing newly-arrived peacekeepers to south Lebanon was passing Sidon when a drone strike occurred nearby.”
“Five peacekeepers were lightly injured and treated by the Lebanese Red Cross on the spot. They will continue to their posts,” it said, urging warring parties “to avoid actions putting peacekeepers or civilians in danger.”
UNIFIL has thousands of peacekeepers
Lebanon’s official National News Agency said a UNIFIL vehicle was on the “same lane” during the strike, which left UN peacekeepers with “minor injuries.”
An AFP correspondent in the area saw the charred, mangled remains of the targeted vehicle which was only a few meters away from an army checkpoint.
The correspondent saw UNIFIL peacekeepers gathered on the sidewalk near the checkpoint, some of them bloodied and wounded after the raid, as paramedics attended to their injuries.
The UNIFIL convoy comprised a number of busses, the correspondent said.
Israeli raids have intensified in recent weeks on Haret Saida, a densely-populated Sidon suburb that has a significant population of Shiite Muslims.
Israel has also increasingly launched targeted strikes on vehicles. A woman was killed Thursday in an Israeli strike targeting a car on a key road linking the capital Beirut with the Bekaa Valley and Syria, a security source told AFP.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported earlier that “an enemy drone targeted a car in Araya,” adding that the strike left the route blocked to vehicular traffic.
The highway links Beirut to the Syrian capital of Damascus, through the Lebanese mountains.