From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 21, 2024
In Lebanon, US envoy says conflict has ‘escalated out of control’
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US envoy Amos Hochstein holds talks with Lebanese officials in Beirut on conditions for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, saying that the conflict has “escalated out of control.”
He says that it was “not enough” for both sides to commit to UN resolution 1701, which ended the last round of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 and which calls for southern Lebanon to be free of any troops or weapons other than those of the Lebanese state.
Hochstein says that neither Hezbollah nor Israel had adequately implemented the resolution, and that while it would be the basis for the end to current hostilities, the US was seeking to determine what more needed to be done to make sure it was implemented “fairly, accurately and transparently.”
“We are working with the government of Lebanon, the state of Lebanon, as well as the government of Israel to get to a formula that brings an end to this conflict once and for all,” he says.
After what he called a “very constructive” meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah who has been engaging in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, Hochstein says:
“The United States wants to end this conflict absolutely as soon as possible. That is what President [Joe] Biden wants, that is what we all are working towards.”
The Times of Israel Community.