Lebanon's US embassy says Hezbollah accepted US proposal on 'mutual cessation of attacks'

Lebanon's U.S. embassy said on Monday that Hezbollah had accepted a U.S. proposal for a "mutual cessation of attacks," after Israel threatened more strikes on south Beirut on the eve of a fourth round of Israel-Lebanon negotiations.

"The Lebanese authorities received confirmation of Hezbollah's acceptance of the U.S. proposal providing for a mutual cessation of attacks," said an embassy statement published by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's office.

It said the confirmation came after a telephone call between Aoun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

On Sunday, a senior U.S. official had told AFP that Rubio spoke with Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the ongoing diplomatic negotiations, asserting that Hezbollah must be the first to cease its attacks.

"Under the proposed arrangement, Israeli strikes on Dahiyeh would cease in exchange for Hezbollah refraining from launching attacks against Israel, with the cease-fire framework to be expanded to encompass all Lebanese territory," the embassy statement added, referring to Beirut's southern suburbs.

Subsequently, U.S. President Donald Trump "called the Lebanese ambassador to the United States and indicated that he had secured Prime Minister Netanyahu's agreement to the proposed arrangement," the statement added.

Lebanon's ambassador "relayed the outcome of the discussions to President Aoun, who in turn communicated it to Hezbollah," the statement said, adding that negotiations on Tuesday and Wednesday "will continue to discuss this progress."

This week's negotiations in Washington are the fourth round since April, when Lebanon and Israel, who have no diplomatic relations, began landmark direct talks which Hezbollah strongly opposes.

They also come after military delegations from the two countries held security talks at the Pentagon last week.

On Sunday, the senior U.S. official had told AFP on condition of anonymity that to advance the talks, "the United States proposed a clear sequence: Hezbollah must stop all attacks on Israel. In return, Israel would refrain from escalation in Beirut."