US Mediation Amid Israeli Internal Strife: Balancing Gaza Conflict and Lebanese Border Tensions

A report by Amale Chehadeh, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

US Advisor Amos Hochstein’s talks in Tel Aviv on Monday took place amid internal disputes in Israel: calls to halt the Gaza war, rising warnings about a potential war with Lebanon, and demands for decisive battlefield action.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who continues to stress the need to intensify fighting in Gaza while placing Lebanon as a secondary priority, decided to dissolve the war cabinet before Hochstein’s arrival after National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir requested to join it. This move transferred decisions regarding the "al-Aqsa Flood" war from Gaza to Lebanon to the smaller security cabinet, where the Likud ministers, who generally disagree with Ben-Gvir, hold a majority, particularly concerning war on Lebanon.

Hochstein discussed with Israeli officials ways to prevent igniting the northern border and avoid regional war expansion. According to sources familiar with the plan to be discussed in Tel Aviv, it focuses on reaching a truce leading to an agreement on the land borders between Israel and Lebanon, including:

1. Adjustments to the 13 disputed points on the land border between Israel and Lebanon, including the village of Ghajar.

2. Strengthening the current UNIFIL forces on the border to ensure Hezbollah does not operate south of the Litani River.

3. Deploying Lebanese army forces along the border to prevent provocations on both sides.

4. Hezbollah's commitment to stay north of the Litani River, agreeing on a specific distance.

5. Signing this agreement after Hezbollah moves its forces away from the border.

While Israeli sources doubt such an agreement, informed sources believe the US, to prevent a regional war, will offer investments to Lebanon. However, security and political officials warn against reckless Israeli actions that could ignite the northern front, causing significant losses for Israel.

Israelis widely agree that any settlement with Hezbollah depends on stopping the Gaza war, which Hochstein aims to achieve. Concurrently, during a tour in Gaza, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi faced complaints from soldiers about severe fatigue due to ongoing battles without a clear combat plan. The Rafah battle is expected to intensify and conclude in less than two weeks, bringing an end to the 255-day "al-Aqsa Flood" war that has yet to achieve its objectives.