US peace broker brings new hope to Lebanon-Israel border tensions
Senior US diplomat arrives in Lebanon with fresh cease-fire plan between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanese officials show first signs of accepting proposal while Gaza faces growing food-related problems
Amos Hochstein‚ the top US middle-east negotiator landed in Lebanon on nov-19 to push forward a new peace initiative. Lebanese decision-makers seem open to the proposed deal‚ which aims to calm down border issues; however the situation in Gaza remains problematic
The peace-plan includes key points for both sides:
- Moving Hezbollah fighters away from border area
- Israeli forces pull-back from disputed zones
- Re-establishing UN peace-keeping zone
Lebanese pro-Hezbollah political groups gave positive feedback about the US-backed proposal - a step that might lead to reduced cross-border tensions. The deal focuses on creating a conflict-free buffer-zone (monitored by international peace-keepers) between these long-time rivals
Meanwhile Gazaʼs humanitarian crisis gets worse as armed groups keep taking food from aid trucks. The food-security situation becomes more difficult for local people‚ who dont have access to basic supplies. Many aid-workers say its hard to deliver help because of safety issues in the area
