Israeli and Lebanese officials revealed that the administration of US President joe biden Talks are being held with Israel, Lebanon and its mediatorsHizb allah With the aim of reducing current tensions and restoring calm in the long term by moving Hezbollah forces away from the border, but on the other hand, Al-Monitor newspaper quoted an Israeli military source as saying that the chances of reaching a diplomatic solution between Israel and Hezbollah are diminishing.
Al-Monitor quoted an Israeli military source – who requested anonymity – as saying that Israel is observing a steady and slow increase in Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel, adding that “continuing escalation will lead them to a massive conflagration, and if Hezbollah wants it, it will happen in the end.”
He said, “We greatly appreciate the efforts of the American mediator Amos Hochstein and the useful participation of the French, but Hezbollah came to this world to fight Israel, not to reach agreements with it, and those who want to fight will find themselves in a state of war.”
On the other hand, the New York Times quoted Lebanese and Israeli officials as saying that the talks led by the American mediator focus directly on preventing skirmishes on the border from turning into a comprehensive conflict.
The officials told the newspaper that Washington sent messages to Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah warning them that the risk of escalation was very high, and encouraged them to exercise maximum restraint to avoid a war that could draw Iran, other regional armed groups, and the United States into the conflict.
A senior Lebanese official told the newspaper that Washington is communicating with Hezbollah through intermediaries, namely the Lebanese Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Parliament Speaker.
In addition to its efforts to contain the risk of direct escalation, the Biden administration is also discussing – according to the newspaper – the criteria for a long-term agreement to increase stability in order to help the return of displaced persons to northern Israel and southern Lebanon.
The newspaper said that the United States seeks to make the Lebanese army the only force present, and to push Hezbollah forces away from the border with Israel.
Citing sources familiar with the talks, it stated that Israeli officials sent conflicting messages regarding the distance Hezbollah should move away from the border, and an Israeli proposal requested that Hezbollah move away at least 5 kilometers, while another proposal requested that it move away 8 kilometers.
She said that Biden administration officials have not yet taken an official position on the distance at which Hezbollah will move away from the border in order to ensure flexibility in the negotiations, but they believe that the party should move away more than 5 kilometers.
She added that American officials informed their counterparts in Lebanon and Israel that restoring calm on the border was unlikely before Israel ended its war on the Gaza Strip.
According to American and Israeli officials, with the escalation of tensions on the border, Israel considered launching a major attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli officials said that Israel must paralyze Hezbollah before it opens a second front, but the Biden administration urged Israel not to attack because the intelligence information At that time, it showed that Hezbollah and Tehran’s allies did not want war with Israel.
In addition, the United States estimated – according to Israeli officials – that Hezbollah would immediately recover from the Israeli strike and launch a massive barrage of missiles at strategic targets in Israel.
American officials told the newspaper that Israeli leaders were deeply divided over the implementation of the proposed air attack on Hezbollah, and they finally agreed to seek a diplomatic solution, and shortly after Israel agreed, the American mediator began shuttle trips focused on keeping the exchange of fire on the border to a minimum. .
According to the estimates of these American officials, Hezbollah “showed a degree of restraint” and the number of Israeli deaths was relatively low “because Hezbollah was intentionally launching a number of missiles into uninhabited areas,” according to the newspaper.
