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US envoy Amos Hochstein insisted on the need for de-escalation in South Lebanon, asserting that a truce in Gaza will not necessarily extend to Lebanon and that even when limited, war cannot be controlled.
Hochstein carried out a marathon visit to Lebanon on Monday—his third since the start of the Gaza war—to continue discussions with Lebanese officials on a medium-term settlement in South Lebanon. Arriving at around 1 PM, he ended his visit at around 8 PM with a meeting with a group of opposition MPs, in the presence of US Ambassador Lisa Johnson.
MPs Michel Moawad, Samy Gemayel, Elias Hankach, Georges Adwan and Georges Okais were present at the meeting, at the end of which MP Samy Gemayel (Kataeb) declared that his greatest concern remains Lebanon's sovereignty despite the war in Gaza. "We are working for an initiative that would put an end to the war in the South and hope to achieve a result. However, we want to remind everyone that this cannot be done at the expense of the state and its sovereignty, nor can it place the future of the Lebanese people in the hands of others," said the Kataeb leader, referring to Hezbollah.
"We told Hochstein that we must cooperate to implement Security Council Resolution 1701 and support the Lebanese army in maintaining border security," said MP Georges Adwan (Lebanese Forces).
MP Michel Moawad (Renewal) added that "the aim is to protect Lebanon from being dragged into war and to establish long-term stability by reaching serious solutions through the implementation of Resolution 1701."
"Despite Hochstein's discussions today (Monday) with the head of the (caretaker) government, the decision of peace or war is not in the hands of the government," Moawad continued, stressing the need to end the war so that Lebanon "is not used as a negotiating tool in every regional crisis."
Earlier in the afternoon, the American envoy had met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, to whom he reported on efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.
Before arriving at the Grand Serail, the American envoy had held talks with Druze leader Walid Jumblatt in the presence of Progressive Socialist Party leader Taymur Jumblatt and Democratic Gathering MPs Marwan Hamadeh and Wael Abou Faour. The latest developments and de-escalation efforts in South Lebanon were on the agenda.
The second meeting of the day for the US President's envoy was with Commander-in-Chief Joseph Aoun, in the presence of Ambassador Johnson. Discussions focused on the general situation in the country and developments on the southern border.
US envoy Amos Hochstein began his visit to Lebanon with a visit to Ain al-Tineh, where he met with the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri.
At the end of the meeting, the American envoy asserted that the United States was making every effort to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, stressing that "escalation benefits no party" and assuring that even "when limited, war cannot be controlled." He added, "I am here to support a diplomatic de-escalation solution on the southern border, allowing the Lebanese to return home and the Israelis to do the same." He indicated that a truce in Gaza would not necessarily extend to Lebanon, noting that talks to this end appeared to be progressing between the Israelis and Hamas, with the support of Egypt, Qatar and the United States.
He also warned against "an escalation that will not help rebuild Lebanon and move it forward at this important moment in its history," referring to the upsurge in violence in recent days between Hezbollah and Israel.
"The United States believes that the solution must be a diplomatic one, and that the Lebanese and Israelis deserve to live in peace," he added, indicating that "a temporary halt to hostilities is not enough."
When asked about a possible truce in the Gaza conflict, discussed and negotiated in recent days for the month of Ramadan, Hochstein stressed that his country "is working for a ceasefire in Gaza, for the release of prisoners and for the truce in Gaza to be extended to southern Lebanon." In his opinion, this does not yet seem to have been achieved.
Amos Hochstein ended his visit with a meeting at the Beirut airport with Deputy House Speaker Elias Bou Saab, before leaving Lebanon.
This Is Beirut
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