US statement on ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah: '36-hour claim'

The US State Department has issued a statement regarding the expected ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “We believe we are close to an agreement.

We believe we have significantly narrowed the gaps between the parties. However, there are still steps that we need to see taken, and we hope we can reach that point,” he said.

When a journalist pointed out that there have been many promising statements from the US administration regarding ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza before, Miller said, “George Mitchell’s description of diplomacy as ‘500 days of failure and then one day of success’ accurately describes how these types of agreements work.

Usually, when we say ‘we are close to an agreement,’ we add the caveat that ‘nothing is concluded until everything is concluded,’ and we note that it depends on the parties actually saying ‘yes’ and reaching that point.

Furthermore, as the Secretary of State often says, the final stages of an agreement are usually the most difficult because the hardest issues are left for last.

This is naturally true. We hope we can reach an agreement. We are doing our best to find a diplomatic solution that will allow tens of thousands of people in Lebanon and Israel to return to their homes. But ultimately, this is not up to us, it is up to the parties,” he said.

CLAIM THAT BIDEN AND MACRON WILL ANNOUNCE A CEASEFIRE WITHIN 36 HOURS

The Lebanese press had claimed that US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron would announce a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah within 36 hours.

US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby, in a statement regarding the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah, used the phrase “We are very close,” and said, “The discussions were constructive, and we believe the trajectory of this is moving in a very positive direction. But yes, it is not over yet.”

In a statement made by the French Presidency, it was noted that significant progress had been made in the negotiations toward achieving a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, stating, “We continue to work in this direction with our American partners. We hope that everyone involved will take advantage of this opportunity as soon as possible.”

News Source: İHA