Paris, Rome to host army aid talks, Hochtsein won't visit Beirut soon

Paris is preparing to hold a conference for supporting the Lebanese Army in late February and another conference will be held in Rome in early March for the same purpose, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Monday.

“This continues the proposal that the French have presented as to strengthening the Lebanese Army (in south Lebanon) with surveillance towers and carrying out training for its soldiers,” the daily said.

Diplomatic sources meanwhile told al-Liwaa newspaper that U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein had told those whom he met recently that he would not be visiting Lebanon soon.

A prominent parliamentary source told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that Hochstein will not visit Beirut because he has not yet agreed with Israel on a blueprint for ending hostilities and implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.

“Hochstein has not ceased his mediation and he is still in daily contact with Beirut and Tel Aviv to keep the situation in the South under control and prevent its escalation in a manner that would lead to expanding the war,” the source added.

“Lebanon is clinging to the U.S. mediation,” the source went on to say.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging near-daily fire across the border since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7.

The cross-border exchanges have killed at least 268 people on the Lebanese side, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also 40 civilians. On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and six civilians have been killed, according to the Israeli army.

The fighting has also displaced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border and Israel has repeatedly warned that it might use force against Hezbollah to secure its residents' return amid ongoing indirect negotiations over a political solution.