The US demands that the Israeli-Hezbollah war end “as soon as possible”

Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls most in southern Lebanon, has been declared a terrorist organisation by the United States, while the European Union has only black arms, but not the party, which has seats in the Lebanon Parliament.

The American envoy, Amos Hochstein, has held talks with Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nahbi Barry an ally of Hezbollah in Beirut, as he attempts to end the war that has been launched nearly a month, which has killed more than 1,470 people in Lebanon.

The future link of Lebanon to other conflicts in the region has not been, nor is it in the interest of the people of Lebanon”, Hochstein said, referring to Hezbollah's principal requirement, that each ceasefire in Lebanon be connected to ending the war in Gaza.

Hochstein has also said that until UN Resolution 1701 -- which has ended fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 -- should be the basis for a new ceasefire, the parties have not done enough to implement it.

According to Resolution 1701, only Lebanon's army and the UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL can be placed in areas south of Lebanon's Litan River, near the border with Israel.

Despite the resolution, Hezbollah has had presence in southern Lebanon, and in October last year has started firing missiles towards Israel as a sign of support for Palestinian ally Hamas, the group declared terrorist by the United States and other powers.

Last week, Lebanon Prime Minister Najib Mikati has told the AFP news agency that his government is ready to strengthen the presence of the army in southern Lebanon if the ceasefire is reached.

But Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group, has refused to disarm since the 1975-1990 civil war, and there are significant quantities of weapons in this country with large political divisions and weak armies.

The exchanges of missile attacks on the border of Lebanon have begun after Israel's war in Gaza began on October 7th last year.

War has been sparked by Hamas ' attacks in southern Israel, leaving more than 1,200 people killed and taking another 240 hostages.

As a result of the Israeli offensive in Gaza, more than 42,000 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities.

In September, Israel has also expanded the war in Lebanon, with the goal of destroying Hezbollah's capacities in the border area.

Hezbollah, on the other hand, has pledged to continue the war until a Gaza ceasefire is reached. /REL