US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson has reportedly handed a document to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, which included a proposal for a ceasefire in Lebanon, Lebanese media outlets reported on Thursday.
No further details were available.
For its part, Lebanon's Al-Jadeed TV quoted sources close to Berri, stating that the Speaker had given the US Ambassador his response to the proposal put forward by US envoy Amos Hochstein.
Unnamed sources close to Berri said the Speaker seems “optimistic about reaching a ceasefire within a few days or a week, provided that no unforeseen developments occur”.
Earlier Thursday, the US news outlet Axios reported that an American official confirmed the United States had reached agreements with Israel on a ceasefire deal and was now working to secure similar arrangements with the Lebanese authorities.
For his part, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, affirmed on Thursday that the redeployment of the Lebanese Army in southern Lebanon is "absolutely crucial" for any lasting solution to end the war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Lacroix stated during a meeting with journalists near Beirut that "the redeployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces is a key element for any permanent solution," amid the ongoing escalation in fighting between Hezbollah and Israel since September 23, according to AFP.
Lacroix conducted a three-day visit to Lebanon, during which he met with several officials, including Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri -who is a close ally of Hezbollah and is negotiating on its behalf to end the war- and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun. He also visited sites operated by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the south.
The United States is working to mediate a ceasefire to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, but these efforts have yet to yield results.
Israel launched an intensive air and ground military campaign against Lebanon late in September following a cross-border exchange of fire, coinciding with the ongoing Gaza conflict.
