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Hochstein left Lebanon realizing that he does not have a magic wand for a solution and that a sustainable solution may never exist because, for Hezbollah, the issue of its weapons is much more important than the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, as it amounts to a regional role exercised by Iran, and it is not yet time to curb it.
Hochstein did not hear anything new from Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on behalf of Hezbollah regarding the military situation in southern Lebanon: no answers to any questions, no willingness to reduce the intensity of military operations and a repeated assertion that the course and fate of Gaza and South Lebanon are interconnected.
The American envoy clearly informed the Lebanese authorities that a piecemeal and unsustainable solution in southern Lebanon is unacceptable and that the solution should not allow the recurrence of any military or security actions on both sides of the border, between Lebanon and Israel. Therefore, what Hochstein proposed is to upgrade Resolution 1701 of the Security Council from a cessation of military actions to a permanent ceasefire.
In this context, Hochstein called on those he met with, primarily Nabih Berri, to redeploy the army in the South Litani area with the support of UNIFIL, the United States and Western and Arab countries.
He discussed how the Israeli army won’t agree to a ceasefire in Gaza if it also involves South Lebanon. Therefore, they’ll keep taking military actions as long as Hezbollah remains in a position that allows the party to threaten the safety of residents in northern settlements, preventing them from returning or being displaced.
Despite the lack of progress, the Lebanese side, represented by Amal and Hezbollah, asked for more clarifications on how the United States would force Israel to implement Resolution 1701, stop violations of all kinds and withdraw from the occupied territories, especially the Shebaa Farms.
The American side emphasized the legitimacy of these demands. They expressed reservations about finding a final arrangement for the Farms, as they are not a matter of conflict with Lebanon alone but between Israel, Syria and Lebanon, and that reaching an understanding on them may take a long time.
