The American mediator Amos Hochstein confirmed, after meeting with the Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, that "a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will end the war and open the door for diplomatic solutions, which may also put an end to the conflict along the Blue Line." Following his meeting with Berri in Ain al-Tineh, he stated, "We are going through difficult times, and the proposal presented by President Joe Biden for a ceasefire in Gaza has been accepted by the mediators and Israel, and Hamas should accept it." Hochstein noted that "the conflict along the Blue Line between Hezbollah and Israel has persisted long enough. Innocent civilians are dying, properties are being damaged, the Lebanese economy is declining, and the country is suffering for no good reason, so it is in everyone's interest to find decisive solutions." He emphasized that "a de-escalation at the border will allow residents to return to southern Lebanon and northern Israel," pointing out that "the talks I conducted today in Beirut and yesterday in Israel aim to avoid further escalation and expand the war." Hochstein arrived on Tuesday at Ain al-Tineh for a meeting with Nabih Berri.
Hochstein then headed to the residence of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati for a meeting, during which he confirmed that "Lebanon is not seeking escalation, and what is required is to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon and to return to calm and stability at the southern border." He indicated that "we continue to strive to stop the escalation, establish security and stability, and halt the continuous violations of Lebanese sovereignty and the acts of killing and systematic destruction perpetrated by Israel." Mikati stressed that "Israel's ongoing threats to Lebanon will not deter us from continuing to seek to establish a ceasefire, which is a priority for us and for all friends of Lebanon." For his part, Hochstein said: "As usual, I had good discussions with the Prime Minister. We are going through dangerous times and critical moments, and we are working together to try to find ways to prevent further escalation, as I mentioned in my previous statement."
