US envoy sees 'real opportunity' to end Hezbollah-Israel conflict
By VOA News November 19, 2024
A U.S. diplomat expressed hope Tuesday about a possible cease-fire agreement that would end fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
"We have a real opportunity to bring this conflict to an end," said Amos Hochstein, adding that he had held "very constructive talks" with Lebanese officials, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally mediating for the militants.
Hochstein said the differences between the two sides had narrowed and an end to the conflict was "within our grasp."
The Lebanese government and Hezbollah have agreed to a proposal that was submitted last week and made some comments on the content, Ali Hassan Khalil, an aide to Berri, told Reuters on Monday.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue to conduct military operations against Hezbollah even if a cease-fire is reached.
"The most important thing is not [the deal that] will be laid on paper," Netanyahu told Israel's parliament.
"We will be forced to ensure our security in the north [of Israel] and to systematically carry out operations against Hezbollah's attacks ... even after a cease-fire," to keep the group from rebuilding, he said.
Netanyahu also said there was no evidence Hezbollah would respect a cease-fire.
The draft agreement would remove Israeli ground forces from Lebanon and push Hezbollah forces away from the Israeli border. More Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would be sent to the buffer zone in southern Lebanon as part of the deal, the Associated Press reported.
Monday fighting
An Israeli strike Monday in central Beirut killed five people and wounded 31 others, according to the Lebanon's Health Ministry. It was the third Israeli strike in the heart of Beirut in two days.
On Monday, Israel's military said Hezbollah fired around 100 projectiles into northern Israel, with some intercepted by air defenses.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah said it fired rockets at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona.
Hezbollah began its campaign after its ally Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 Israelis were killed, and 250 were taken hostage. About 100 of the hostages have yet to be released, although a third of them are believed to be dead.
Following the attack, Israel began a campaign to eliminate Hamas in Gaza, leading to the deaths of about 44,000 people, according to the Hamas-led Gaza health ministry.
Since the fighting with Hezbollah began, more than 3,500 people in Lebanon have been killed, according to authorities. Most of the fatalities have occurred since late September.
But Hamas and Hezbollah have been designated as terrorist organizations by the United States.
Houthi attacks
Another Hamas ally, the Houthi group in Yemen, began attacking shipping in the Red Sea corridor a year ago.
On November 19, 2023, the ship Galaxy Leader, a car carrier, was seized in a Houthi helicopter attack.
The ship and its crew of 25 are still being held by the rebels. The Houthis went on to launch attacks against more than 90 commercial vessels in the Red Sea over the past year, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors.
Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
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