Hochstein, McGurk in Israel amid reported progress on Lebanon deal

Senior US officials were to meet their Israeli counterparts on Thursday to discuss a possible deal to end the war in Lebanon, Lebanese and Israeli media reported.

US President Joe Biden's Middle East adviser Brett McGurk and special envoy Amos Hochstein are expected in Israel amid reports of progress on a deal that would halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israeli media have highlighted that the proposal allows Israel freedom in action in all Lebanese territory if the terms of the deal are violated. 

Israeli media published what it described as a draft of the ceasefire agreement, which includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon within seven days, to be replaced by the Lebanese army under the supervision of the US and other international bodies.

The deal also requires Lebanon to disarm all armed groups in southern Lebanon within 60 days of the agreement’s signing and to comply with Resolution 1701.

According to Israeli media reports citing government sources, the plan brokered by the US team would see Hezbollah forces retreat around 20 miles (30 kilometres) from the border, north of the Litani River.

According to Kan, the deal's terms notably remove the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as the primary force patrolling the border area, instead placing the Lebanese military in charge, supported by the US and other international bodies.

Resolution 1701 mandates, among other provisions, the withdrawal of Israeli forces behind the Blue Line and the setup of a demilitarised zone between the border and the Litani River, effectively requiring Hezbollah forces to pull back from the border area.

Forces from the UNIFIL, which patrolled the border area with Israel for years, had recently come under repeated Israeli fire which resulted in numerous injuries and the destruction of their infrastructure.

On Wednesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed optimism about a ceasefire in "the coming hours or days" and Hezbollah's new leader Naim Qassem said the group would accept a truce under certain conditions.

Israel's Channel 12 news site reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had held a meeting on the deal on 30 October, during which all participants reportedly agreed that the "time was ripe" to cease military action in Lebanon and finalise an agreement.

The primary point of contention now centres on how Israel will respond if Hezbollah breaches the agreement and international bodies fail to enforce it, Channel 12 said.

The Walla news site reported that the US had agreed to provide Israel with a letter committing American support for Israeli military action if Lebanon violates the agreement or if threats from Hezbollah go unaddressed by the Lebanese army or UNIFIL.

The letter also contains an agreement for the US to share intelligence with Israel on suspected violations, according to Walla.

Negotiations on the deal had progressed "significantly" over the past 24 hours, the Walla report said citing two unnamed sources. However, the Biden administration had not yet finalised an agreement with Israel and Lebanon on the text of the deal, the report added.

Haaretz daily cited an unnamed American official who indicated uncertainty over whether Hezbollah would accept a deal while the war on Gaza persisted.

The official cautioned that despite progress on an agreement between Israel and Lebanon, the lack of a ceasefire in Gaza and continued military operations in the northern Gaza Strip could jeopardise the deal's prospects.

The official also noted that Hezbollah might be unwilling to agree to Israel's demand for operational freedom in Lebanon.

The war in Lebanon began late last month, nearly a year after Israel and Hezbollah exchanged low-intensity cross-border fire, which the Lebanese group said was in support of Palestinians in Gaza after Israel had waged its indiscriminate war on the besieged enclave.

The war has killed at least 1,754 people in Lebanon since it expanded on 23 September, according to health ministry figures, although the real number is likely to be higher.

The United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Thursday that the war in Lebanon has caused the death of at least one child per day and wounded an average of 10 since 4 October.