"We have made efforts related to establishing a ceasefire, deploying the army on the border, and implementing Resolution 1701, and we have reached an understanding with Amos Hochstein”, Berri said in an interview with an Arabic newspaper on Wednesday night, referring to the special envoy of the US president who is on a ceasefire mission and visiting the Zionist leadership.
We are waiting for Hochstein to reach an understanding with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on what we had agreed upon, he said, adding that “If Hochstein reaches an understanding with Netanyahu, Lebanon is ready to implement and adhere to the agreement at any moment.”
"Now the ball is in Netanyahu's court to see if he is ready to move within the framework we have agreed with Hochstein or not?" the top parliamentarian said.
Barri also said that the American mediator had not mentioned anything about Resolution 1559 that was sponsored by France and the United States in 2004 and called on the Lebanese government to establish control over the territory and disarm Hezbollah among other measures.
But Resolution 1701, approved by the United Nations Security Council in 2006, aimed to end the 34-day war between the Israeli regime and Hezbollah and decided to take steps to ensure peace, among them authorizing an increase in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to monitor the cessation of hostilities as Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon.
Earlier, Najib Mikati, the caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon also expressed hope for a ceasefire in the next few hours, saying "the full implementation of Resolution 1701 will lead to long-term peace in southern Lebanon".
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