The US, along with its Gulf allies, has launched a serious diplomatic offensive with Iran as part of its effort to defuse tensions in West Asia amidst a growing fear of retaliatory strikes by Israel against Tehran. According to reports in Israel’s Channel 12 news, the US and Arab states are holding talks for an overall ceasefire that would cover the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Notably, Israel is not directly participating in these discussions, although senior Israeli officials have been kept informed.
The report shows that Israel is yet to respond to the initiative, making its position on a possible ceasefire, especially in Gaza, unknown. A high-ranking Israeli official said, “We are currently in a position of power; a ceasefire will be on our terms, including a Hezbollah withdrawal beyond the Litani River and dismantling of all military sites near the border.”
In a related development, Hezbollah seems to have softened its attitude toward a ceasefire in Lebanon. The militant group has insisted that it could not accept a truce before the peace was seen in Gaza.
But on October 8, Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s number two, expressed support for peace initiatives spearheaded by Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. “We support the political activity being led by Berri under the title of a ceasefire,” Qassem said. He did not say Gaza, another sign that Hezbollah doesn’t want to tie its fate to that in the Strip.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Forces announced the destruction of an important Hezbollah tunnel crossing into Israeli territory from Lebanon. According to the IDF, the 20-meter-long tunnel did not threaten any of the towns and villages in its vicinity, and it was under construction by Hezbollah over the past two years before being discovered by Israeli forces.
