Jumblat asks why doesn't Hochstein call for ceasefire in Lebanon
As International mediators gathered for a third day of talks with Hamas in Cairo to discuss a plan for a six-week truce in Gaza, former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat asked why wouldn't the U.S. call for a similar cease-fire in Lebanon.
"If U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is asking for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, why wouldn't U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein do the same for a Lebanon," Jumblat posted Tuesday on the X platform.
"U.N. Resolution 1701 can be discussed in a comprehensive way later," he added.
Asked Monday whether he could "guarantee" that the anticipated Gaza ceasefire would apply to Lebanon, Hochstein said a truce there would not "necessarily" or "automatically" apply to Lebanon, adding that his discussions in Beirut and Israel are aimed at reaching certain "arrangements" leading to a "diplomatic solution."
Jumblat had met with Hochstein Monday in Clemenceau, where he asked the U.S. envoy "a flurry of questions" and expressed "concern" over the situations in Gaza and Lebanon, al-Akhbar newspaper reported Wednesday.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Tuesday that lebanon had questions about Hochstein's proposal and is waiting for answers. He said he had been informed that a ceasefire will happen before Ramadan in Gaza and that negotiations related to the Lebanese front will take place during the holy month of Ramadan.
Source: Naharnet
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