US asked Lebanon to declare unilateral ceasefire with Israel, sources say

The U.S. asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire with Israel to revive stalled talks to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, a senior Lebanese political source and a senior diplomat said - a claim denied by Lebanon's prime minister.

They said the effort was communicated by U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati this week, as the U.S. stepped up diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Mikati's office in a statement to Reuters denied the U.S. had asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire. It said the government's stance was clear on seeking a ceasefire from both sides, and the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the last round of conflict between the two foes in 2006.

The U.S. embassy in Beirut did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The sources said the U.S. sought to persuade Beirut to take back some initiative in the talks, particularly given the perception that Israel will likely continue military operations that have already killed most of Hezbollah's leadership and destroyed much of the country's south.

Lebanon's armed forces are not involved in the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which began firing rockets at Israeli military sites a year ago in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas in Gaza.

Any effort to reach a ceasefire would need a green light from Hezbollah, which has ministers in Lebanon's cabinet and whose members and allies hold a significant number of seats in Lebanon's parliament.

Diplomats mediate with Hezbollah through the group's ally, Lebanese speaker of parliament Nabih Berri. Hezbollah has said it backs efforts by Berri to reach a ceasefire but says it must meet certain parameters, without providing details.

But a unilateral declaration was seen as a non-starter in Lebanon, the sources said, where it would likely be equated with a surrender.

DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVE

Another diplomat told Reuters that Hochstein had made a similar proposal months ago to Mikati and Berri.

Hochstein told them that if Hezbollah unilaterally declared a ceasefire, he "could have something to present" to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a diplomatic initiative.

"His exact words were, 'help me, help you," the diplomat said, adding that then-Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah rejected the idea. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli air attack on Sept. 27 on Beirut's southern suburbs.

Despite its losses, Hezbollah has maintained that the Iran-backed group's chain of command is intact and its fighters have kept Israeli forces making ground incursions into Lebanon at bay.

The U.S. has been pushing for a 60-day ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel as a prelude to a fuller implementation of 1701, sources told Reuters this week.

Hochstein was in Israel on Thursday with White House envoy Brett McGurk, but they did not continue on to Lebanon.

Speaking about Lebanon on Thursday, Netanyahu said that "agreements, documents, proposals....are not the main point."

"The main point is our ability and determination to enforce security, thwart attacks against us, and act against the arming of our enemies, as necessary and despite any pressure and constraints. This is the main point," he said.