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Hochstein Seeks ‘Diplomatic Solution’ to Prevent Lebanon, Israel from Sliding to 'Further Conflict'

Hochstein before his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (EPA)
Hochstein before his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (EPA)
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Hochstein Seeks ‘Diplomatic Solution’ to Prevent Lebanon, Israel from Sliding to 'Further Conflict'

Hochstein before his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (EPA)
Hochstein before his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (EPA)

The US President’s special envoy Amos Hochstein has sought to overcome the Israeli “narrow window” and reach a “temporary compromise” with the Lebanese leaders that would avoid a further escalation of the border clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, based on a diplomatic initiative that he carried to Beirut.
Hochstein arrived in the Lebanese capital on Thursday afternoon to meet with Lebanese officials, within the framework of US efforts to reduce tensions on the border between Israel and Lebanon.
He first met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, before holding an expanded meeting with the minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bouhabib, the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Lebanon, Amanda Bales, and the accompanying US delegation.
“I firmly believe that the people of Lebanon do not want to see an escalation of the current crisis to a further conflict,” he told reporters, following his meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.
He continued: “We are obviously at a difficult time and a time of urgency, and I am grateful that I have been able to have meetings with the Lebanese government and with the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces - the LAF - to discuss how we can arrive at a diplomatic solution for the crisis on the border between Israel and Lebanon.”
Hochstein underlined the need to “find a diplomatic solution that will allow for the Lebanese people to return to their homes in South Lebanon and to go back to their normal lives, as the people of Israel need to be able to return to their homes in their north, to be able to live with security.”
He revealed that he had good discussions with the Lebanese government, adding: “I am hopeful that we can continue to work this effort to arrive together, all of us on both sides of the border, with a solution that will allow for all people in Lebanon and Israel to live with guaranteed security and focus on a better future.”
Asked by a journalist whether he sensed a willingness from the Israeli side to negotiate, the US envoy replied: “I think you have all heard what the government of Israel has said, which is that there is a narrow window, but that they prefer a diplomatic solution. I think that is the case. We are living in a crisis moment where we would like to see a diplomatic solution, and I believe that both sides prefer a diplomatic solution. It is our job to get one.”
For his part, Berri told the daily that Hochstein brings a new idea for a solution, not an initiative or a particular suggestion.
He said that the Lebanese side has also given some ideas, “We will look into his ideas and he will look into ours, and will meet later”.

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Three Algerians Charged in Kidnapping of Opposition Figure in France

Amir Boukhors (social media)
Amir Boukhors (social media)
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Three Algerians Charged in Kidnapping of Opposition Figure in France

Amir Boukhors (social media)
Amir Boukhors (social media)

Three men, including an employee at the Algerian consulate in France, were indicted in Paris on suspicion of involvement in the April 2024 kidnapping of Amir Boukhors, an opponent of the Algerian regime, judicial sources told AFP on Saturday.

The three men were charged Friday in Paris with kidnapping and unlawful detention in relation to a terrorist organization, as well as participation in a criminal terrorist conspiracy, according to the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT).

Later, a French judge ruled that all three be placed in pre-trial detention.

One of the suspects works for an Algerian consulate in France. While he holds a service passport rather than a diplomatic one, the issue of diplomatic immunity is expected to be addressed during the proceedings, a source close to the case told AFP.

Boukhors, a well-known critic of the Algerian regime, had previously survived two serious attacks — one in 2022 and another on the evening of April 29, 2024, according to his lawyer, Eric Plouvier.

The kidnapping, which initially fell under the jurisdiction of the Créteil prosecutor’s office, was later taken over by PNAT in February 2025.

“This shift to an anti-terror investigation shows that a foreign power, Algeria, did not hesitate to carry out violent acts on French soil — acts of intimidation and terror that threaten lives,” Plouvier said, calling the case a “state affair.”

Neither of the suspects’ attorneys responded to AFP requests for comment.

Boukhors’ name also surfaced in a separate probe by the Paris prosecutor’s office.

In that case, a French Economy Ministry employee was indicted in December for allegedly providing confidential information about Algerian dissidents — including Boukhors — to an Algerian national working at the Algerian consulate in Créteil.

According to sources, some of the individuals targeted in that investigation later became victims of violence, death threats, or abduction attempts.

The latest developments between the two countries coincided with the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron, who said last Friday he is “confident” on the release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, sentenced to five years in prison in Algeria.

Sansal’s case is under “special attention” by Algerian authorities, Macron commented during a visit to the Paris Book Festival, adding that the evolution of the case makes him confident that the writer would soon be released.

“I am confident because I know that there is particular attention. I am simply waiting for the results,” Macron said.

He added, “Our strongest wish is for the Algerian authorities to make the decision that will allow him to regain his freedom, receive treatment, and return to writing.”

Observers believe that the decision to charge the three Algerian men in France would disrupt the fresh efforts to revive bilateral relations between Paris and Algiers, particularly following the March 31 phone call between Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who voiced their willingness to repair relations and after French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said last week that ties with Algeria were back to normal.