Berri advised Hochstein to fetch Netanyahu's clear position: Sources

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
21 Oct 2024 23:10
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Political sources tell Al Mayadeen that US envoy Amos Hochstein was told in Beirut that Hezbollah's mandate to Speaker Nabih Berri is "complete, serious, and unquestionable."

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (R) meets with US special envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut on October 21, 2024 (AFP)

The outcome of US envoy Amos Hochstein's visit to Beirut and the position of the United States regarding the end of "Israel's" aggression on Lebanon remains unclear until the true stance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is revealed, political sources told Al Mayadeen on Monday.

This comes as "Israel" continues its aggression across Lebanon, with the Lebanese Ministry of Health announcing on Monday that the number of casualties from the aggression has risen to 2,483 martyrs and approximately 11,628 injured.

Regarding Speaker Nabih Berri's position, the sources conveyed his reaffirmation that Lebanon supports Resolution 1701 without any modifications.

The Resolution was reached in the wake of the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon and calls for the full cessation of hostilities and the deployment of the Lebanese Army to Southern Lebanon, as well as the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the Blue Line buffer zone [between Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories] and the Litani River.

"Israel" completely disregarded the resolution in the aftermath of the war, continuously violating Lebanese sovereignty with overflights from its aircraft.

The sources told Al Mayadeen that Berri reportedly advised Hochstein to seek a clear and "official" Israeli position from Netanyahu.

The sources also revealed that Hochstein inquired during his visit about the extent of Hezbollah's mandate to Berri, emphasizing that he received a definitive response stating that "the mandate is complete, serious, and unquestionable."

Additionally, according to the sources, Beirut perceived Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate in the current US presidential race, as being interested in achieving some form of accomplishment in Lebanon before the US elections.

The sources described the meeting between Speaker Berri and the US envoy as generally positive.

But earlier on Monday, Axios reported, citing US and Israeli officials, that the Israeli occupation government submitted a document to the US Department last week outlining its conditions for a ceasefire to end the aggression on Lebanon and enable the return of displaced civilians.

The document was delivered by Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, on Thursday, ahead of Hochstein's visit to Beirut on Monday.

Israeli officials indicated that the document reflects key principles discussed with the Israeli Ministry of Security and the Israeli occupation forces, emphasizing what "Israel" demands in any diplomatic solution to end the war.

One of the demands includes Israeli forces' engagement along the border to ensure "active enforcement" that prevents the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon from rebuilding military infrastructure in southern Lebanon near the border, an Israeli official told Axios.

Another demand is for "Israel" to have the freedom to operate in Lebanese airspace, which would constitute a blatant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty.

These two demands contradict Resolution 1701, which mandates that the Lebanese Armed Forces and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) enforce a ceasefire between "Israel" and Hezbollah.