US envoy Amos Hochstein arrives in Beirut for ceasefire talks amid tough Israeli demands

US envoy Amos Hochstein said Monday that tying Lebanon's fate to other conflicts in the region was not in the country's interest and that Washington was working on a formula based on UN resolution 1701 to end the conflict with Israel "once and for all."

He spoke from Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's residence in Beirut, during his sixth trip to Lebanon in just over a year since fighting began between Israel the Hezbollah militant group in October 2023, in a fallout over the Gaza war.

The cross-border hostilities spiralled into a full-blown war last month when Israel began a ferocious aerial offensive against Lebanon, accompanied by ground operations inside Lebanese border villages.

'Committing to 1701 not enough'

Hochstein's visit to the war-hit country is Washington's latest push for a ceasefire between its ally Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. But reports on Monday said Hochstein brought with him tough Israeli demands, likely to be completely rejected by Lebanon.

Hochstein said that while UN Security Council Resolution  1701 was the basis to resolving the conflict, the warring sides merely committing to 1701 was "not enough."

He said the United States was working to devise a formula to end the conflict once and for all, adding that the Biden administration wants to ensure the current conflict will be Lebanon's last "for generations."

UNSCR 1701 ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel. It stipulates that no arms outside of state control will exist in the area south of the Litani River, which should only be patrolled by the Lebanese military and UNIFIL.

But while Lebanese officials including Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati have reiterated that Lebanon respects and wants to fully implement 1701, the US and Israel seem to have rejected it.

"We spent 11 months trying to contain the crisis but were unable to. Every time I came here I warned that the current situation cannot continue this way...a resolution was possible but it was rejected, and the situation has escalated out of control as we feared that it could," he told reporters.

"Both sides just committing to 1701 is not enough," he said.

Ahead of Hochstein’s visit, Tel Aviv last week reportedly passed onto Washington its list of demands to stop its war on Lebanon, which has killed over 2,000 people since last year and has now displaced over 1.2 million others.

One of these demands include the Israeli military being allowed to carry out "active enforcement" in Lebanese territory to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its military infrastructure near the border when the war ends.

It also wants to freely conduct surveillance flights over Lebanon – something Israel has done nearly every day since the 2006 war ended.

"We are talking about 1701 with increased enforcement. Our main message is that if the Lebanese army and UNIFIL do more, the IDF will do less and the other way around," an Israeli official told Axios.

But Israel's latest demands to end its offensive would seriously compromise Lebanon's sovereignty. Neither Hezbollah nor the Lebanese state are expected to agree to them.

The Israeli embassy in London said they were unable to give comments when contacted by The New Arab.

Hochstein refused to answer a question on the Axios report, saying he will hold talks "in private" with Lebanese officials.

He added that the US was prepared to support the Lebanese government and its military, adding that international support was necessary to help Lebanon's army carry out its responsibilities and rebuilding the country's crisis-hit economy.

Hochstein was the key negotiator in talks that led to the 2022 maritime deal between Lebanon and Israel, an agreement Israel's energy minister has threatened to scrap.

He is in Lebanon the same day as Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who will be in the country for a day to discuss the impact of Israel's war on the country and recent political developments.

The visits come hours after Israel launched heavy strikes targeting the Hezbollah-run Al-Qard Al-Hassan lending group.

The strikes hit the financial institution's branches in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the country’s eastern Beqaa region and in south Lebanon.

Nobody was reportedly killed in these strikes, but civilians have been killed in other attacks.

Berri refuses amended 1701

Speaker Berri, who heads the Shia Amal movement, an ally of Hezbollah, had said he refuses any modifications to UNSCR 1701.

Speaking to the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya network Sunday evening, Berri said Hochstein’s visit will be the "last chance" to achieve a ceasefire before the US elections on 5 November.

Upon arriving at his residence in Beirut, Berri did not shake hands with Hochstein, according to local media, in a sign of growing resentment against Israel’s biggest ally.

In his comments to Al Arabiya, Berri said that Hezbollah had given him authority to speak for the group since 2006.

He added that there was consensus in Lebanon on UNSCR 1701, including Hezbollah, saying: "We adhere to it."

The Speaker, who has been in his position for over three decades, said he had "a plan to save Lebanon" and is working on it.

Karim Bitar, professor of international relations at Lebanon's Saint Joseph University, said Israel's demands represent an egregious infringement on Lebanese sovereignty.

He cast doubt that the US official's visit will bring any positive developments.

"Most Lebanese leaders had excepted resolution 1701, Hezbollah itself had accepted all conditions of the resolution, and it appears today Israel is trying to demand further concessions," he told The New Arab.

"I very much doubt anyone in Lebanon who is committed to full and unconditional sovereignty will concede to these Israeli demands...so I'm afraid this visit by Amos Hochstein will definitely not be enough to secure a ceasefire."