In an effort to prevent further escalation between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, a senior adviser to President Biden will meet with Israel's top military officials. The special envoy, Amos Hochstein, will discuss with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ways to control hostilities along the “Blue Line” separating Israel and Lebanon. Hochstein will also hold discussions with National Unity party leader Benny Gantz, opposition leader Yair Lapid and President Isaac Herzog.
This is Hochstein's fourth visit to Israel since October 7. He previously negotiated a maritime border agreement between Israel and Lebanon by the end of 2022, paving the way for both nations to develop natural gas and other resources in the region. Hochstein is currently working on a demarcation of the land border between the two countries, a process that could involve several phases, starting with residents in southern Lebanon and northern Israel returning home during an initial ceasefire.
Israel has expressed willingness to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, but has also warned of a full-scale war against Hezbollah to restore security in the north if no deal is reached. The situation has been tense for more than eight months, with exchanges of fire escalating since Hezbollah began attacking Israel in October in support of the Hamas group in Gaza.
The situation escalated last week when rocket attacks sparked massive fires in northern Israel, leading to the death of Hezbollah commander Taleb Abdullah. Hezbollah retaliated with heavy rocket barrages in northern Israel. Two UN officials in Lebanon have warned of a “very real” risk of a wider conflict due to a miscalculation on Lebanon's southern border.
In response to the escalation of tensions, French President Emmanuel Macron announced last week that Paris, Washington and Jerusalem would form a group to work to de-escalate the situation. However, Israel's defense minister ruled out Israel's involvement, sparking a public disagreement with the Foreign Ministry.
Hezbollah has been attacking Israeli communities and military posts along the border almost daily since October 8, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The border skirmishes have resulted in the deaths of 10 civilians on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 15 IDF soldiers and reservists. Hezbollah has reported 342 members killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, most in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, 63 other operatives of other terrorist groups, a Lebanese soldier and dozens of civilians have been killed.
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