BEIRUT: The Lebanese government is assessing a U.S.-brokered truce proposal aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanese officials told AFP on Friday, nearly two months into intense cross-border clashes that have escalated into open war.
Since September 23, Israel has ramped up its airstrikes targeting primarily Hezbollah positions in Lebanon and has also deployed ground troops. These actions come nearly a year after Hezbollah initiated limited exchanges of fire, a move intended to support its Palestinian ally Hamas following its October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the Gaza war.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire, led by the United States and France, have so far failed to end the violence between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed organization like Hamas.
However, two Lebanese government officials have indicated that a new proposal is under consideration.
Speaking on condition of anonymity due to the issue’s sensitivity, one senior official revealed that U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson presented the plan on Thursday during discussions with Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Nabih Berri, the Hezbollah-aligned parliament speaker involved in mediation efforts on the group’sbehalf.