No freedom of movement for Israel in Lebanon in US ceasefire draft: Berri

A US draft proposal for a ceasefire in Lebanon does not include the freedom of movement for Israel inside Lebanese lands, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Friday.

The proposal,had been relayed to Berri, but it also does not include a condition for NATO forces to be on the ground in Lebanon.

However, a sticking point is the inclusion of a Western force to monitor the implementation of UN Security Council 1701, Berri was quoted as telling Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. UNSCR 1701 put an end to the July 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel; yet, neither side ever fulfilled their obligations under the deal.

Berri added that there was a “positive atmosphere” surrounding the talks to end the devastating war, but said the Western force was unacceptable for Lebanon.

The ongoing war has resulted in at least $8.5 billion of physical damage and economic losses in Lebanon, according to a new World Bank report.

Following this war, which broke out after Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel in October 2023, Israel said it wants freedom to fly over Lebanon and attack any time it deems necessary going forward. Lebanon has said no.

Hezbollah started targeting Israel following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

A senior Biden aide, Amos Hochstein, has been unsuccessful in mediating a ceasefire between the two since last year. Hochstein is expected to travel to Beirut in the coming days. It remains unclear if he will then go to Israel or not.