Report: US, allies hope to soon announce steps to end Israel-Hezbollah fighting
The U.S. and four of its European allies hope to announce in the next few weeks a series of commitments made by Israel and Hezbollah to diffuse tensions and restore calm to the Israel-Lebanon border, two Israeli officials and a source briefed on the issue told U.S. news portal Axios.
Amos Hochstein, one of U.S. President Joe Biden's closest and most trusted advisers, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Israel on Sunday and discussed his proposal for “new understandings” on the border, Axios said.
“The proposal is based on the model of the 1996 ‘Grapes of Wrath’ understandings between Israel and Hezbollah that were declared by the U.S. and other world powers to end the Israeli military operation in Lebanon at the time,” Axios added.
The sources said the new understandings would not be officially signed by the parties but the U.S. and four European allies -- the UK, France, Germany and Italy -- would issue a statement detailing the commitments each side has agreed to make.
The five Western powers will also announce economic benefits to boost the Lebanese economy to “sweeten the deal for Hezbollah,” the sources said.
The understandings are expected to focus on the partial implementation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. They would include a commitment by both parties to stop the skirmishes on the border that have been taking place since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
“The understandings are not expected to require Hezbollah to move all its forces north of the Litani River as resolution 1701 demands, but only eight to 10 kilometers (five to six miles) from the Israeli border,” the sources told Axios.
“Due to the Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah has already moved most of its elite Radwan force seven to 10 kilometers (four to six miles) from the blue line in nearly all the areas along the Israeli-Lebanese border,” Axios said.
According to the sources, the understandings would be based on the principle of "freezing in place": Hezbollah will not have to withdraw its forces but only commit to not sending them back to areas along the border where they were positioned before Oct. 7.
Instead, the Lebanese Army will send 10,000 to 12,000 troops to the area along the border with Israel, the sources said.
“Israel would also have to take steps to diffuse tensions. The U.S. has asked Israel to stop the overflights its fighter jets are conducting in Lebanese airspace, according to the sources. Israel hasn't rejected this request,” Axios added.
Under the proposal, Israel would also commit to pulling out some of the forces -- mostly reservists -- it has amassed along the border in the last four months, the sources said.
Contacted by Axios, the White House declined to comment but a U.S. official said that getting "Israeli and Lebanese citizens back into their homes, living in peace and security is of the utmost importance."
"We continue to explore and exhaust all diplomatic options ... to achieve this goal," the official said. The official added that some of the elements described by the sources are not true, but would not give any specifics.
The U.S. hopes a possible hostage deal and pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza would make it easier to calm the situation along the Israel-Lebanon border, but it is preparing to announce the understandings even if that doesn't happen, the sources said.
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