The US is leading a new effort to end the conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza, sources say By Reuters

By Maya Gebeily, Laila Bassam and Matt Spetalnick

BEIRUT/NEW YORK (Reuters) – The United States is leading a new effort to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, uniting the conflicts as part of a single initiative, seven sources familiar with the process told Reuters.

The details are being discussed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to two Lebanese officials, two Western diplomats, a source familiar with the thinking of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, a source in Washington and another person briefed on the matter. lectures.

Some Western officials said, however, that the main focus of diplomacy right now is to stop the violence in Lebanon, which poses a serious risk of slipping into a regional war.

At the United Nations, the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, told Reuters that the US and France are trying to strengthen a temporary agreement “to avoid further tensions” between Israel and Hezbollah with the aim of opening a comprehensive dialogue that will include efforts to achieve a long-term goal. they want a ceasefire in Gaza.

But as the effort gathers, Israel has suggested it may add ground penetration into Lebanon to its expanded campaign of strikes against Hezbollah. Three Israeli officials told Reuters that, although the US and France had been working on ceasefire proposals, no progress had been made.

A broader deal could be expected to include the release of hostages taken by the Palestinian group Hamas in its October 7 attack on Israel, according to a senior Lebanese official, a source familiar with Hezbollah's thinking and a source briefed on the talks.

The White House National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment.

Violence has gripped the region since the October 7 attacks by Hamas on communities in southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 were captured in Gaza.

The attack prompted Israel to launch an offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 41,000 people, according to authorities there.

The day after Hamas attacked, Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli military positions across Lebanon's southern border, saying the attack was coordinated with Gaza.

Hezbollah has said it will not stop firing at Israel until the attack on Gaza ends, and repeated attempts by Washington to decide to stop fighting in Gaza and protect the freedom of hostages have failed.

ISRAEL WATCHES ATTACK

Israel has now intensified its military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, launching hundreds of airstrikes and killing several Hezbollah commanders and hundreds of other people, according to Lebanese authorities.

Tens of thousands have already fled on both sides of the border since October, and this week they were joined by nearly half a million fleeing the feared Israeli offensive in southern Lebanon.

A senior Western official told Reuters that the deal sought by the US would include an Israeli declaration that there would be an end to major clashes in Gaza, followed by an end to violence in Lebanon and a political agreement that would demarcate Israel's border. -Lebanon land border.

The diplomat said that would provide an “avoidance mechanism” for Hezbollah to avoid an all-out war with Israel.

A senior Lebanese official and a source familiar with Hezbollah's thinking said that Hezbollah is open to any solution that includes Gaza and Lebanon.

A second Lebanese official said it would not be possible to end the conflict without a package that includes both.

The talks focused on what would be a “temporary pause” in the Israeli-Hezbollah fighting and the resumption of indirect Israeli-Hamas talks, according to a US source in Washington.

In an indication that the talks are gaining momentum, the prime minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, on Monday announced an unexpected trip to New York.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that he will send newly appointed Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to Lebanon this week as part of efforts to prevent a full-scale war.

A 'CHANCE' FOR STABILITY

The conflict in Gaza has been politically costly for US President Joe Biden – and the campaign of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris – and the violence in Lebanon has put double pressure on him to find a solution.

Biden said on Wednesday that a serious war is possible in the Middle East, but there is also the possibility of a broader settlement.

A person in Washington familiar with the matter said that talks were taking place on the sidelines of the National Assembly “with the aim of providing an opportunity for a political settlement” on the Lebanon-Israel border and renewing the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

But a second US source warned that the hurdles to such a complex proposal for officials were high – and that implementation would be even more difficult.

Macron, the only Western leader to hold talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the National Assembly, called on him on Tuesday to influence Hezbollah.

French officials said negotiations must focus first on ending the conflict, given the difficulty of including Gaza in a comprehensive agreement at this time.