Hochstein on urgent mission to visit Israel and Lebanon

Concerns over Israel potentially escalating the conflict in southern Lebanon have prompted U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein to plan an urgent visit to Tel Aviv and Beirut, according to a media report.

Delegated by the U.S. administration, Hochstein’s urgent mission aims to contain the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah and prevent it from escalating, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported, citing a Western diplomatic source.

The source mentioned that Hochstein’s visit to Tel Aviv on Monday, followed by a trip to Beirut, was not originally planned and was initially linked to the still-faltering ceasefire in Gaza. However, he was compelled to return quickly because U.S. efforts to dissuade Israel from expanding the war to include southern Lebanon have so far faced resistance from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war aides, who oppose Washington’s desire to limit the confrontation with Hezbollah.

Asharq al-Awsat also pointed out that Hochstein’s upcoming visit to Beirut coincides with the return of U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson to the city.

The ambassador met with caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib on Thursday night to assess the escalating situation in the south, which has reached a peak in recent hours. They discussed potential measures to control the situation and prevent it from developing into a broader conflict, especially since Washington has indicated it will not politically support an expanded war, the daily added.