BEIRUT: US Presidential Envoy Amos Hochstein believes a solution can be reached in Gaza. Speaking from Beirut on Wednesday, he said: “A diplomatic resolution is achievable because we continue to believe that no one truly wants a full-scale war between Lebanon and Israel.”
Hochstein’s visit to Lebanon comes on the eve of Thursday’s Doha negotiations which aim to avoid all-out conflict. Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to avenge Israel’s assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political bureau chief, and prominent Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr.
The outcome is eagerly awaited as Hezbollah has said it will have a ceasefire in Lebanon if one is agreed in Gaza.
According to the Lebanese Information International Center this secondary war, launched in southern Lebanon on Oct. 8 last year, has resulted in 564 casualties to date. This includes 393 Hezbollah members, 88 civilians, 11 Palestinians, 18 Syrians and one Lebanese soldier, along with seven paramedics, three journalists, and others linked to parties allied with Hezbollah.
Hochstein met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally and channel of communication with the party. He also met with Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun and several opposition MPs representing the Kataeb Party, the Lebanese Forces Party, independents and reformists.
In a press conference after an hour-long meeting with Berri, Hochstein said: “When I was in Lebanon on my last visit in June, I told everyone that we believe the conflict has lasted too long, and that a diplomatic solution is both possible and urgently necessary. What was true in June, unfortunately, remains true today.”
He said his discussions with Berri centered on “the framework agreement that’s on the table for a Gaza ceasefire, and he and I agreed there is no more time to waste and there’s no more valid excuses from any party for any further delay.”
According to Mikati’s media office, the prime minister emphasized “the importance of exerting pressure on Israel to halt its aggressions and threats. He stressed that the key to a solution lies in establishing a ceasefire in Gaza and implementing the Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 1701, which ensures stability in the southern region.”
MP Hankash spoke about “great efforts by the international community to reach a ceasefire” and said: “All parties must abide by this. The Lebanese government must make the decision, deploy the army and implement Resolution 1701.”
An Israeli airstrike targeted a road at the junction of the entrance to the city of Tyre and the town of Abbasiyeh while Hochstein was in Lebanon. A motorcyclist sustained critical injuries, while ten civilians in a nearby vehicle and a number of other people were injured. Two young girls, Sara and Lara Tarmas, and their grandfather were struck by shrapnel.
Security reports indicated that the motorcyclist, who was targeted, was linked with Hezbollah. On Tuesday two of the organization’s members, Ibrahim Al-Ashi and Fadi Shihab, were killed in an Israeli drone attack on their car in the town of Baraachit.
