Hochstein Aims for Deal Allowing Both Sides Victory Claim

U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein is striving to broker a deal that allows both Lebanon and Israel to “claim victory,” according to a source cited by Kuwait’s al-Anbaa newspaper, referencing Western diplomats.

The proposed solution involves a balanced, mutual withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli army from the border area, with U.S. guarantees and a significant role for U.N. forces, the daily reported.

Since October, Hezbollah has been engaged in almost daily cross-border exchanges of fire with the Israeli army, supporting its Palestinian ally Hamas.

This cross-border violence, which began on October 8, has resulted in nearly 500 deaths in Lebanon, primarily fighters but also 95 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, at least 29 people have been killed, most of them soldiers, according to Israeli authorities.