US envoy Hochstein arrives in Israel for ongoing ceasefire talks

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, US envoy, Amos Hochstein, arrived in Israel after a visit to Beirut, where he received Lebanon's response to the US-mediated ceasefire proposal.

Hochstein said that the negotiations had made positive progress, and he is set to meet with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, a close associate of Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, the talks are expected to continue on Thursday when the Israeli Security Cabinet holds a meeting to discuss the developments.

“The agreement is now closer than ever, with 90-95% of the details completed, but they warned that the devil is in the details”, Ynet quoted an anonymous source.

"There is a shared interest in reaching an agreement, but major decisions still need to be made," it added.

The proposed monitoring mechanism includes important roles for the US, France, and the UK, aimed at strengthening the Lebanese army with weapons and advice. Military cooperation with Jordan, Egypt, and the UAE is also expected to play a role in enhancing Lebanon's military capabilities, Ynet pointed out.

For his part, Lebanese Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, revealed that Hezbollah had received the US-proposed ceasefire agreement. “Israel expects to achieve its goals through an agreement, not on the battlefield, which is impossible,” he claimed, stressing that that a ceasefire depends on Israel’s response and Benjamin Netanyahu’s “seriousness.”