According to a report in the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has been in Beirut in recent days, to lobby for amendments to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the resolution that brought the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war to an end. According to Al Akhbar, the amendments proposed by Hochstein amount to Lebanon’s surrender to Israeli demands as a condition for a ceasefire, and as such were rejected by acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.
Diplomatic sources told Al Akhbar that Hochstein presented a new vision for Resolution 1701 based on different principles, including changing the mission of the resolution to make it “aimed at establishing peace on the borders between Lebanon and Israel and preventing any armed presence in the Lebanese areas near these borders.” In a second point, “he requests expanding the geographical scope of the authority of the international resolution to the north of the Litani River by several kilometers, and at least 2 kilometers,” on the condition that there is “a significant increase in the number of international forces operating within the peacekeeping forces, and raising the number of Lebanese army forces supposed to be deployed in that area.”
According to Al Akhbar, Hochstein tried to present the offer as if it would tempt Lebanon, and that an initial approval from the government and Speaker Berri would open the door to efforts to convince Israel to stop the war immediately.
Berri, however, was reported to have been very clear with Hochstein, indicating that Resolution 1701 is clear and does not need any amendment, and that there is a Lebanese consensus to implement it, and that any attempt to amend it will destroy the opportunity to implement it, and that the United States must look for ways to stop Israeli violations of the resolution and not talk about unilateral measures on the Lebanese side. The Prime Minister was quoted as telling the American envoy that what he was offering would not be accepted by anyone in Lebanon.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, following Hochstein’s visit to Beirut, arrived in Israel today for his 11th visit since the Gaza war began. Blinken, according to the mainstream media line, for example, by AP is trying to revive efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, on the false hope that the Oct. 16 killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has opened up an opportunity for peace. So far, AP notes, both Israel and Hamas appear to be digging in.
Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, where Blinken stressed the need for Israel to do more to help increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Palestinians, and said Israel should “capitalize” on Sinwar’s death as an opportunity to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages there, according to the AP account. Netanyahu’s office called his meeting with Blinken, which lasted more than two hours, “friendly and productive.”
