The United States reportedly presented a proposal to de-escalate hostilities between Lebanon and Israel after US secretary of state Marco Rubio spoke with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the last 48 hours.
The reported proposal comes as Israeli forces carried out their deepest incursion into Lebanon since withdrawing from the country in 2000. As part of the operation, Israeli troops seized control of the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh.
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Inside US plan to end Israel-Lebanon hostilities
Under the proposal, the US has asked that Iran-backed Hezbollah group would first halt all attacks on Israel, and in exchange, Israel would avoid further escalation in Beirut, a US official told news agency Reuters.
The official said the move would open the way for a gradual reduction in fighting and eventually lead to an effective halt in hostilities.
According to the official, Aoun attempted to push the proposal forward and secure support for it. However, Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who said he could “guarantee” Hezbollah’s commitment to a ceasefire, said that Israel must first stop “shooting first”.
Netanyahu said on Sunday that he had instructed troops to advance deeper into Lebanon in the fight against Hezbollah, despite a ceasefire that was announced more than six weeks ago.
More than 3,300 people, including dozens of children, have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict began on March 2, two days after the US-Iran war started, according to the Associated Press. Around 1 million people have been forced from their homes.
At least 25 Israeli soldiers and a defence contractor have been killed in Lebanon. Two civilians have also died in northern Israel.
Israel-Lebanon conflict
Lebanon became involved in the West Asia conflict on March 2 when Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israel in response to the US-Israeli killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Since then, Israel has launched a ground offensive and taken control of dozens of villages and towns near the border. Hezbollah, meanwhile, has fired thousands of missiles and drones at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and targets in northern Israel.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on April 17, but it has largely failed to hold. Both sides regularly accuse the other of violating the truce and defend their own actions as responses to those alleged breaches.
With inputs from agencies
