Lebanon awaits US envoy's visit: Lebanese officials deny progress on ceasefire with Israel

Report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati have no new concrete information to substantiate reports circulating in Israeli media and officials about an imminent ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel. 

The reports suggest that U.S. presidential envoy Amos Hochstein may finalize such a truce during an upcoming visit to Lebanon.

Lebanese sources clarified that no meetings with Hochstein have been scheduled for Berri or Mikati. While Mikati spoke with the U.S. envoy last week, no date was set for a visit to Beirut. 

Lebanese officials had anticipated Hochstein's return to Lebanon after his recent trip to Israel, hoping he would deliver Israeli responses to Lebanese concerns over Israel's freedom of movement within Lebanon. 

However, Hochstein has not returned to Beirut, nor has he shared any updates, indicating he may not have received clear answers from Israel or may have encountered positions likely to face opposition from Hezbollah.

Contrary to speculations, no new drafts outlining a ceasefire, army deployment, or an expanded role for the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL in establishing a buffer zone and securing the Syrian border have been delivered to Lebanese authorities in the Grand Serail nor Ain el-Tineh. 

These proposals reportedly remain in preliminary discussions, awaiting outcomes from ongoing Israeli-American consultations and Israeli talks with Russian officials, who could play a role in limiting arms transfers to Hezbollah through Syria.

U.S. sources indicate that Hochstein is expected to make a regional visit, though no exact timeline has been set. 

Discussions are underway with various stakeholders to ensure that any ceasefire agreement would establish an enforceable framework aligned with U.N. Resolution 1701, promoting a long-term solution for stability along the Lebanon-Israel border.