Lebanon “positive” towards U.S. ceasefire proposal: PM

BEIRUT, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) — Lebanon’s response to the ceasefire proposal by the United States is “positive,” despite that some points still “need discussion,” Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday, expressing his hope to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible.
In an interview with al-Araby TV, Mikati said “the primary focus for Lebanon in the U.S. draft proposal is the implementation of Resolution 1701, and Lebanon is committed to implementing it.”
Resolution 1701 ended the last round of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 and stipulated that southern Lebanon must be free of arms that do not belong to the Lebanese state.
Noting that U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein will visit Lebanon soon, Mikati said, “Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is leading the talks with the American mediator, and I am in constant contact with him, and I have not heard of a condition related to the freedom of military movements for Israel in Lebanon,” adding that Israel “must withdraw from Lebanese territories.”
The prime minister added that he is also concerned about “strengthening the presence of the army in southern Lebanon and keeping weapons in the hands of the Lebanese army only.”
According to Lebanese and Israeli media outlets, Hochstein is expected to arrive in Lebanon on Tuesday, after which he will visit Israel for the ceasefire talks.
On Friday, the Lebanese parliament speaker announced that he had received a U.S. proposal to stop the confrontations between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, at a time when the party had authorized Berri to negotiate.
Lebanese media reports said Berri had informed Hezbollah of the U.S. draft proposal and received the party’s comments on it, without providing detailed information.
Since Sept. 23, the Israeli army has intensified its air attack on Lebanon in an escalation of conflict with Hezbollah. Israel further initiated a ground operation across its northern border into Lebanon in early October. ■