U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Israel on Wednesday evening after visiting Beirut, where he received Hezbollah’s response to an American-brokered cease-fire proposal.
Hochstein described the negotiations as having made “positive progress” and is set to meet shortly with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Talks will continue Thursday, with Israel’s Security Cabinet convening in the evening for a briefing on the developments.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US envoy Amos Hochstein and Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem
(Photo: Kawnat HAJU / AFP, Yariv Katz, REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir)
Senior diplomats said an agreement is “closer than ever,” with 90-95% of the details finalized, but warned that “the devil is in the details.” They noted that sensitive issues, including the establishment of a monitoring mechanism, remain unresolved.
“There appears to be shared interest in reaching a deal, but key decisions must still be made,” one diplomat said. The proposed monitoring framework would involve significant roles for the U.S., France and Britain, aimed at bolstering the Lebanese Armed Forces through arms and advisory support. Military cooperation from Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates is also expected to play a role in strengthening Lebanon’s military capabilities.
Hezbollah’s newly appointed leader, Naim Qassem, who assumed the role last month following the assassinations of Hassan Nasrallah and his original successor-designate Hashem Safieddine, delivered a speech Wednesday afternoon addressing ongoing negotiations with Israel.
Amid threats issued during his remarks, Qassem confirmed that Hezbollah had submitted its comments on the U.S.-brokered proposal and is now awaiting Israel’s response.
“The success of the negotiations depends on Israel’s response and Netanyahu’s seriousness,” Qassem said. He emphasized two key conditions, which he referred to as the “red lines” for the talks: a complete halt to what he called “Israeli aggression” and the preservation of Lebanon’s sovereignty—likely referencing disputes over Israel’s demand for freedom of action in the event of violations of the agreement.
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