Diplomatic maneuvers: Israel's ceasefire nod and Hochstein's potential visit to Beirut

Following Qatar's announcement that "Israel has agreed to a proposal for a ceasefire" and that they have received a "positive initial confirmation from Hamas" regarding this proposal, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation revealed that "the special envoy to US President Joe Biden, Amos Hochstein, will arrive in Israel early next week."

This article is originally published in, translated from Lebanese newspaper Al-Joumhouria.

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declared, "Our goal is to contain the crisis in Gaza and prevent it from escalating into a broader war. We call on Iran to stop supplying the Houthis with weapons used in attacking ships." 

He also emphasized that "we do not want a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, and we continue to engage with Israelis to ensure the war does not expand."

Political and diplomatic sources in contact with members of the Lebanese parliamentary delegation in Washington stated that Hochstein will tour the region and be in Tel Aviv starting Monday or Tuesday next week. 

If his visit yields positive results in the discussed matters, he may visit Beirut on Wednesday or Thursday next week.

In addition, French diplomatic sources mentioned to "Al-Joumhouria" that the new French Foreign Minister, Stéphane Séjourné, will visit Lebanon early next week as part of a regional tour that includes several capitals in the region.

He will likely be in Beirut between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, and the tour may affect the timing, with expectations of extending his visit to some key capitals.