US Mediator Hochstein Heads to Paris to Discuss Lebanon and Southern Conflict Amid Israeli-Gaza Tensions

A report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

US mediator, Amos Hochstein, is set to head to the French capital in a few days. Lebanon and the ongoing war in the south are on the agenda of his discussions.

During his last visit to Lebanon, Hochstein asked Speaker Nabih Nabih Berri whether Lebanon insists on linking the southern front with the Gaza front and if it would refuse a ceasefire unless a ceasefire is also established in Gaza.

When he received the answer that the two fronts would remain linked, Hochstein informed Berri that as soon as a ceasefire is achieved, he would return to Beirut the following day to discuss the implementation of Resolution 1701.

Currently, there is talk about the possibility that Israel might move to the third phase, which involves withdrawing from some positions in the Gaza Strip and ceasing fire without announcing it and without any agreement with Hamas. They would conduct operations with specific targets, either to free hostages or target Hamas. Hochstein is trying to push forward the mediation in the south to achieve a ceasefire in parallel with the implementation of Israel's third phase.

His visit to Paris on July 3rd is part of this effort. According to information made available to LBCI, it also reflects the agreement between Presidents Biden and Macron in their recent summit regarding coordination, communication, and developing a joint approach to the solution in southern Lebanon.

Information made available to LBCI also report that one of the options on the table is to merge the French paper and US ideas about the solution in the south, as well as to determine the appropriate framework for negotiations.

To recap, the French paper proposed a solution that separates the southern front from Gaza, fully implements Resolution 1701, evacuates Hezbollah members from south of the Litani River, and deploys 15,000 army soldiers alongside the cessation of Israeli military operations. Hochstein's ideas revolve around resolving points of dispute with Israel, except for the B1 area in Naqoura and the Shebaa Farms, and organizing rather than eliminating Israeli aerial violations over Lebanon.

In addition to his meetings with senior French Foreign Ministry officials, it is known that the presidential file will not be absent from Hochstein's visit, as he will discuss it in a meeting with the French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian.