Blinken says elusive Lebanon cease-fire deal in 'final stages'

WASHINGTON

An agreement that would end the more than year-long hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah is in its "final stages," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday.

Blinken said he hopes the cease-fire will be reached "very soon," saying it "will make a big difference" in Lebanon, Israel and beyond.

"It will make a big difference in saving lives and livelihoods in Lebanon and in Israel. It will make a big difference in creating the conditions that will allow people to return to their homes safely in northern Israel and in southern Lebanon," he told reporters during a news conference in Italy where he was meeting with G-7 foreign ministers.

"I also believe that by de-escalating tensions in the region, it can also help us to end the conflict in Gaza, in particular, Hamas will know that it can't count on other fronts opening up in the war," he added.

Blinken said that "as a general matter," Israel "will always have the right to deal with challenges or threats to its security," if an agreement is finalized.

Negotiators have been engaged in intensive last-minute talks in the past week to finalize the deal, with US envoy Amos Hochstein returning Monday to Washington after shuttling between Beirut and Israel.

Reports have suggested that US President Joe Biden will announce the agreement in a televised address later Tuesday. The National Security Council, the arm of the White House that generally addresses foreign policy, did not respond to a request from Anadolu for comment.

More than 3,760 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon, with nearly 15,700 injured and over 1 million displaced since October 2023, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Israel expanded the conflict by launching a ground invasion of southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.