In an interview on Wednesday, Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed a cautious sense of hope following discussions with a US envoy, Amos Hochstein, regarding a potential new initiative towards a peace agreement with Israel.
"We are putting in our utmost effort to achieve a ceasefire in the near future, possibly within the next few hours or days," Mikati mentioned during a live interview with Lebanese TV station Al-Jadeed.
The newly appointed leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, also suggested the possibility of reaching a peace agreement in his inaugural speech on Wednesday.
"Should the Israelis choose to halt their aggression, we are open to negotiations, but only under terms that we deem fair and acceptable," Qassem stated, while also clarifying that Hezbollah would not demand a truce.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen mentioned on Israeli radio that the Israeli security cabinet was convening to deliberate on the terms they might offer to secure a truce, while also acknowledging that it would likely take some time.
Following discussions in the White House with President Joe Biden on Wednesday, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides appeared to be quite hopeful about the possibility of a quick cease-fire agreement for Lebanon, potentially within a week or two.
"The foremost priority for the international community at this moment is to secure a cease-fire in the region," Christodoulides emphasized.
As the leader of Cyprus, which is geographically closest to Gaza, Christodoulides is in the US during a period of renewed diplomatic efforts by the Biden administration, with elections in the US just days away.
White House officials Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein were in Israel as part of a renewed push for cease-fire agreements in both Lebanon and Gaza, with White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre confirming this on Wednesday.
She also mentioned that CIA director Bill Burns would be visiting key negotiators in Egypt on Thursday to further discuss these peace efforts.
US officials speaking on background have reportedly provided details of a potential cease-fire proposal between Israel and Lebanon, with their statements aligning with a draft document seen by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, also known as Kan, on Wednesday.
The key elements of this unverified document included a halt in hostilities, Hezbollah's withdrawal from the southern region and border areas, with only the Lebanese Army and international UNIFIL forces permitted in that zone, and the enforcement of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, among other measures.
