**US Envoy Heads to Israel for Talks with Hezbollah**
A US envoy, Amos Hochstein, has arrived in Israel to continue negotiations with Lebanon’s Hezbollah. This comes after he reported “additional advances” on the second day of talks held in Beirut. There is cautious optimism about the development.
Hochstein met with Hezbollah-backed Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri earlier this week. He said he would go to Israel to try and bring an end to the conflict if possible. The details of a ceasefire offer remain unclear, but previous differences included Israel’s desire to strike Lebanon in case of a breach, which was rejected by Lebanon.
**Israel Wants Freedom to Act**
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told foreign ambassadors that Israel would have to maintain its freedom to act if there were violations of any agreement. This has raised concerns about what this could mean and how it could impact the conflict.
**UN Resolution at Center of Deal**
Lebanese officials say any deal should be based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. The resolution calls for the removal of Hezbollah fighters and weapons from areas near Israel’s border.
**Potential Deal Includes Troop Deployment**
A potential deal could include a timeline for Israeli forces to leave southern Lebanon and the deployment of thousands more Lebanese troops. However, there are concerns about how these troops would fight against Hezbollah, which is heavily armed by Iran.
**Conflict Causes Humanitarian Crisis**
The conflict in Lebanon has caused significant human suffering, with over 3,500 deaths and 1 million people forced to flee their homes. The World Bank estimates economic damages and losses at $8.5 billion.
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