Gaza truce ‘not necessarily’ applicable in south Lebanon: US

News Desk - The Cradle

Last week, Israel’s defense minister said that Tel Aviv will continue striking Lebanon even if a truce is reached in Gaza

Senior White House Advisor Amos Hochstein said during a visit to Beirut on 4 March that a truce in the Gaza Strip will “not necessarily” extend to Lebanon.

“An escalation will not help the Lebanese or the Israelis return to their homes,” Hochstein said on Monday following a meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

“The United States is committed to working with the government of Lebanon to end the violence that began on October 8. It is working in order to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip and release the hostages.”

Hochstein added that "any truce in Gaza will not necessarily extend automatically to Lebanon" and said Washington is “working with international partners to secure a peaceful solution in Lebanon."

“A diplomatic solution is the only solution to … the situation on the Lebanese and Israeli borders," he stressed. 

The envoy is set to meet with a number of other Lebanese officials, including the head of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), Walid Jumblatt. 

The US and France have been pushing a de-escalation proposal on Lebanon since the start of February. The leading demand of the western initiative is an extensive withdrawal of Hezbollah from the border region. 

It does not outline any Israeli concessions to Lebanon, such as a pending withdrawal from areas that have been illegally occupied for decades. 

The proposed deal also includes a vague border demarcation agreement which was called a “partial” solution by Lebanon’s foreign minister last month. 

Hezbollah has vowed that it will not stop attacking Israeli sites until the war in Gaza is brought to an end. 

Meanwhile, Washington is pushing for a truce to be reached in Gaza by the start of Ramadan next week.

Hochstein comments come a week after Israel’s defense minister said that Tel Aviv will continue striking Lebanon even if a truce is reached in the strip. 

Last week, US officials told CNN that the Israeli army is planning a ground invasion of south Lebanon in the coming months. 

Just one day ago, Hezbollah announced that it managed to thwart two attempts by Israeli forces to infiltrate Lebanese territory.