Israel has revealed it is finally seeing some progress in Lebanon ceasefire talks, adding that Russia could help by stopping Hezbollah re-arming via Syria.
After reports in the United States suggested Jerusalem may hand a peace deal to incoming President Donald Trump as a “gift”, diplomatic efforts are being stepped up
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terror group in Lebanon, said it had not received any firm new truce proposals from Israel.
But badly hit by Israel’s ongoing offensive, the terror group said political contacts were under way involving its backers in Tehran, Washington and Moscow.
But it warned that it also had enough weapons for a “long war” and keeping up rocket fire into Israel.
And while Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said its war against Hezbollah was not yet over, he added that there was “a certain progress” in talks.
After previous rounds of fruitless, US-led diplomacy to secure a Lebanon truce, the comments signalled renewed focus as President Joe Biden prepares to leave office in January, with Mr Trump appointing Middle East envoys to help broker peace.
Ignited by the Gaza war, the conflict at the Lebanese-Israeli border had been rumbling for a year before Israel went on the offensive in September, pounding wide areas of Lebanon with airstrikes and sending troops into the south.
Mr Saar, addressing a Jerusalem press conference, said Israel was now working with the United States on a ceasefire.
Israel wants Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River – some 20 miles (30 km) from the border – and to be unable to rearm, he said.
He added that a basic principle for any agreement had to be that Hezbollah would not be able to bring in weapons from Syria.
“And the Russians are, as you know, present in Syria. And if they are in agreement with this principle, I think they can contribute effectively to this objective,” Mr Saar said.
Despite apparent progress, Hezbollah had repeatedly warned that it is still preparing for a “long war of attrition” in south Lebanon.
Despite Israel having wiped out much of its top leadership, it claims to have a new military command and new leader directing rocket fire and the ground conflict.
But there is no doubt that the Lebanese terror group has been hit hard in recent weeks by devastating Israeli attacks – most notably the killing of its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Friends and foes alike are now watching how effectively it continues to resist Israeli troops that have crossed into Lebanon with the stated aim of driving it away from the border.
The Iran-backed group still has a considerable stockpile of weapons, including its most powerful precision missiles which it has yet to use, four sources familiar with its operations said, despite waves of airstrikes that Israel says has severely depleted its arsenal.
Meanwhile, any chance of peace in Gaza looks far less likely in the short term, with hopes of a truce suffering a setback, with Qatar suspending its mediation role.
