US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that there is no agreement yet on a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, but expressed optimism that a deal could be worked out.
“We don't have agreement. If we did, we'd be out announcing it and trumpeting it from the rooftops,” Sullivan told PBS NewsHour.
“But we believe that we're seeing progress and we think both sides, both the Lebanese side and the Israeli side, have indicated a willingness to get this done and to get it done on a short time frame,” he added.
He stressed that the US “will continue working at this until we can get both sides to sign on the proverbial dotted line.”
Sullivan’s comments followed a report in Reuters on Monday, which said that a senior Lebanese official had confirmed that both Lebanon and Hezbollah have responded to a US peace initiative to end the conflict with Israel.
"Lebanon presented its comments on the paper in a positive atmosphere," stated Ali Hassan Khalil, who serves as an adviser to Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. The proposal's details remain private, but Khalil emphasized that their response "affirm[s] the precise adherence to Resolution 1701 with all its provisions."
The diplomatic channel has been established through Berri, who received Hezbollah's backing to negotiate. Amos Hochstein, the White House envoy, is expected in Beirut to advance these discussions.
Earlier on Monday, the Lebanese Nidaa Al Watan website published details from a document sent by the US Embassy in Lebanon to Nabih Berri regarding a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.
The document reveals that under the proposal, a supervisory committee would be set up to ensure the implementation of Resolution 1701. The committee would be headed by a US general and would include a French general.
The agreement also provides Israel with the right to act militarily in Lebanon, but only after the committee attempts to handle violations of the ceasefire, and fails in its attempt.
Hezbollah vehemently opposes providing the IDF with the freedom to act in Lebanese territory, beginning the moment the agreement takes effect.
On Sunday evening, Lebanon delivered its response to a US-brokered ceasefire proposal, submitting it to the American embassy in Beirut.
According to Lebanon’s LBCI network, the response was described as "positive."