The US asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire to revive stalled talks to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, according to a report later denied by the Lebanese prime minister
Two unnamed sources, a Lebanese political source and a senior diplomat, made the claim to Reuters, saying the US envoy, Amos Hochstein, had communicated the proposal to Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, this week.
The Biden administration, which critics say has made a series of missteps in its handling of the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, has come up with a number of proposals to end the fighting in both conflicts, all of which have come to nothing.
Top UN officials warned the situation in the northern Gaza Strip was “apocalyptic” as Israel pursues a military offensive against Hamas militants in the area, adding that large parts of the population were at risk of dying from hunger and disease.
The latest flurry of US diplomacy, during which the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, again appeared more optimistic than parties to the conflict about bringing it to an end, comes against the backdrop of the US presidential election next week.
Mikati’s office, however, denied in a statement that the US had asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire. He said his government’s stance was clear on seeking a ceasefire from both sides and implementation of UN security council resolution 1701, which ended the last round of conflict between the two foes in 2006.
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Lebanon’s armed forces are not involved in the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which began firing rockets at Israeli military sites a year ago in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas in Gaza.
Any effort to reach a ceasefire would need a green light from Hezbollah, which has ministers in Lebanon’s cabinet and whose members and allies hold a significant number of seats in Lebanon’s parliament.
The US embassy in Beirut did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The sources said Washington had sought to persuade Beirut to take back some initiative in the talks, particularly given the perception that Israel was likely to continue military operations that have already killed most of Hezbollah’s leadership and destroyed much of the country’s south.
Diplomats mediate with Hezbollah through the group’s ally Nabih Berri, the speaker of parliament. Hezbollah has said it backs Berri’s efforts to reach a ceasefire but that a deal must meet certain parameters without providing details.
A unilateral declaration was seen as a non-starter in Lebanon, the sources said, because it would probably be equated with a surrender.
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Israeli officials have been pushing for a “side letter” from the US in which Washington would guarantee Israel’s freedom to take military action in response to any violation of a ceasefire deal by Hezbollah. Lebanese parties, including Hezbollah, are highly unlikely to accept such a letter.
Talks about a ceasefire foundered as Mikati accused Israel of stubbornness in the negotiations, while the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said his priority was to impose security “despite any pressure or constraints”.
The hostilities have eroded the prospect of a truce being reached before the US election on Tuesday.
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The claims emerged as Israel’s air force continued to bombard Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh overnight, destroying dozens of buildings in several neighbourhoods, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said on Friday.
Lebanese authorities said that 45 people were killed in airstrikes on villages in the Beqaa Valley.
Israel has recently intensified its airstrikes on the north-eastern city of Baalbek and nearby villages, and parts of southern Lebanon. International mediators are increasing their efforts to halt the wars in Lebanon and Gaza, circulating fresh proposals to de-escalate the regional conflict.
The UN warning over the catastrophic situation in northern Gaza was delivered in a joint statement signed by the heads of UN agencies, including the children’s agency Unicef and the World Food Programme, and other aid groups.
“The entire Palestinian population in north Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence,” the groups warned, underlining growing international alarm over Israel’s intentions in the area.
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Israel began a wide military push in northern Gaza earlier this month. The US said it was watching to ensure its ally’s actions on the ground showed it did not have a “policy of starvation” in the north.
“Humanitarian aid cannot keep up with the scale of the needs due to the access constraints. Basic, life-saving goods are not available. Humanitarians are not safe to do their work and are blocked by Israeli forces and by insecurity from reaching people in need,” the aid groups said.
The Israeli military said on Friday it had killed a senior Hamas official, Izz al-Din Kassab, describing him as one of the last high-ranking members of Hamas responsible for coordinating with other groups in Gaza, in an airstrike in Khan Younis.
Medics in Gaza said about 60 people had been killed and dozens injured overnight and into Friday morning in Israeli strikes on the city of Deir al-Balah, the Nuseirat camp and the town of al-Zawayda, all in central Gaza, as well as in the south.
Agencies contributed to this report
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