Egypt Daily News – The Wall Street Journal has reported that the Biden administration is urgently urging both Israel and Hezbollah to cease their increasing airstrikes within and outside of Lebanon.
According to American officials cited in the report, the proposed U.S.-brokered plan includes a several-week ceasefire to halt the ongoing violence.
Further details from the newspaper suggest that this American initiative aims to temporarily stop hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, paving the way for diplomatic efforts that could lead to a long-term resolution.
The plan is said to encompass addressing land disputes along the Israeli-Lebanese border and facilitating the reconstruction of areas in southern Lebanon that have been damaged by recent Israeli airstrikes.
American officials believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is not inclined towards a broader conflict in Lebanon and is in pursuit of a diplomatic resolution.
However, they express concern that the window for preventing an escalation into a larger war between Hezbollah and Israel is rapidly closing.
The region has seen escalating violence following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in significant casualties and subsequent military action by Israel in Gaza, leading to a humanitarian crisis. F
ollowing Hamas’s actions, Hezbollah initiated rocket attacks against Israeli military positions, citing solidarity with Gaza, and reaffirmed that it would not agree to a ceasefire until Israel stops its offensive in Gaza.
This week, the Israeli military has conducted its most extensive airstrikes in Lebanon in a year, targeting Hezbollah leaders and numerous sites across the country, resulting in mass evacuations of Lebanese citizens from affected areas.
