US and Allies to Announce Steps to End Israel-Hezbollah Conflict

The U.S. alongside four European allies – the UK, France, Germany, and Italy, is gearing up to unveil a set of commitments from Israel and Hezbollah aimed at de-escalating tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. This development, as reported by Axios, involves discussions held by Amos Hochstein, a senior advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

These commitments, inspired by the 1996 ‘Grapes of Wrath’ agreements that concluded an Israeli military operation in Lebanon, won’t be formally signed by the involved parties. Instead, a joint statement by the U.S. and its European partners will outline the agreed measures.

Part of the deal includes economic incentives to bolster the Lebanese economy, a move intended to make the agreement more appealing to Hezbollah. The focus of the commitments is on partially enforcing U.N. Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This includes an agreement to cease hostilities along the border that resumed following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

Contrary to the full demands of resolution 1701, which calls for Hezbollah’s withdrawal beyond the Litani River, the new understanding would only require their retraction to a distance of eight to ten kilometers from the Israeli border. Notably, the elite Radwan force of Hezbollah has already repositioned itself away from the border due to Israeli airstrikes.

The proposed strategy involves a “freeze in place” policy, where Hezbollah would not be asked to withdraw its forces completely but to refrain from reoccupying previous positions along the border. In response, the Lebanese Army plans to deploy 10,000 to 12,000 troops to the border area.

Israel is also expected to take de-escalatory steps, including potentially halting the overflights conducted by its fighter jets over Lebanese airspace, a request made by the U.S. Furthermore, Israel may withdraw some forces, primarily reservists, that have been stationed along the border in recent months.

Although the White House did not comment directly on the Axios report, a U.S. official emphasized the priority of restoring peace and security for citizens of both Israel and Lebanon, stating that diplomatic efforts continue towards this end. Some details provided by sources were contested by the official, who did not specify which aspects were inaccurate.

The U.S. remains hopeful that a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza could facilitate the easing of tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. Plans to announce these understandings are moving forward, regardless of the situation in Gaza.