US envoy presses Israel-Hizbolllah truce bid in Lebanon visit

BEIRUT, Lebanon — US envoy Amos Hochstein was in Lebanon Wednesday, seeking to hammer out a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hizbolllah, as the Iran-backed group battled Israeli troops in the south of the country.

The United States and France have spearheaded efforts for a truce in the conflict, which escalated in late September after nearly a year of deadly exchanges of fire between Hizbolllah and Israel.

On Tuesday, Hochstein said an end to the war was "now within our grasp", while one of his main interlocutors, Hizbolllah-allied parliament speaker Nabih Berri, said the situation was "good, in principle".

Speaking to pan-Arab daily Asharq Al Awsat, Berri said his team and US representatives still had "some technical details" to settle.

Hochstein also met Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and army chief Joseph Aoun, as well as Christian leader Samir Geagea.

On Wednesday, he held another meeting with Berri.

A Lebanon-based diplomat, requesting anonymity, said "progress" had been made in the talks.

Hizbolllah chief Naim Qassem said Wednesday his group would not accept any truce that violates Lebanese sovereignty, as Israel demands freedom to act against the Iran-backed movement.

Hizbolllah seeks a "complete and comprehensive end to the aggression" and "the preservation of Lebanon's sovereignty... the Israeli enemy cannot enter (Lebanese territory) whenever it wants", Qassem said in a pre-recorded speech.

"Israel cannot defeat us and cannot impose its conditions on us," he added, as US envoy Amos Hochstein concluded a two-day visit to Beirut seeking to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hizbolllah.

Hochstein on Tuesday in Beirut had said he saw "a real opportunity" to end the fighting, and on Wednesday said he was heading to Israel "try to bring this to a close if we can".

In Beirut, he met twice with parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hizbolllah ally who has led mediation efforts on behalf of the Iran-backed group.

"We have received the (US) paper and we have made some remarks," Qassem said, adding that the comments "and those of speaker Berri, which are in harmony, have been communicated to the American envoy".

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday that any ceasefire deal must ensure Israel has the "freedom to act" against the Lebanese militant group.

"In any agreement we will reach, we will need to keep the freedom to act if there will be violations," he told foreign ambassadors ahead of Hochstein's expected arrival in Israel.

The Hizbolllah chief said a ceasefire depended on "the Israeli response and the seriousness" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Qassem also said that "the response must be expected on central Tel Aviv", after deadly strikes on three central Beirut districts in recent days.

One of the strikes killed Hizbolllah's spokesman Mohammed Afif and four members of his media team.