Hamas rejects proposed Gaza ceasefire, as US envoys in Israel to seek Lebanon truce plan
Hamas is insisting on a lasting solution that includes Israeli withdrawal, prisoner exchange, and humanitarian aid
Senior US officials were to meet their Israeli counterparts on Thursday to discuss a possible deal to end the conflict in Lebanon and secure Israel’s northern border from Hezbollah attacks.
The US visit came as Palestinian militant group Hamas rejected separate truce plans proposed for the fighting in Gaza, where Israeli strikes continued overnight.
Less than a week before the US presidential election, Washington’s envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk were expected in Israel just as Israeli forces continued their fierce ground and air campaign against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
On Wednesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed optimism about a ceasefire in “the coming hours or days” and Hezbollah’s new leader Naim Qassem said the group would accept a truce under certain conditions.
According to Israeli media reports citing government sources, the plan brokered by the US team would see Hezbollah forces retreat around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, north of the Litani river.
Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and the Lebanese army would then take charge of the border, alongside UN peacekeepers.