Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

U.S. envoy says 'limited war' at Lebanese-Israeli border would not be 'containable'

Senior Advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden Amos Hochstein, gestures as he meets with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. Hochstein arrived in Beirut amid an international scramble to contain the regional fallout of the ongoing war in Gaza and prevent an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah on the Lebanese front. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) Senior Advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden Amos Hochstein, gestures as he meets with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. Hochstein arrived in Beirut amid an international scramble to contain the regional fallout of the ongoing war in Gaza and prevent an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah on the Lebanese front. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Share

U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein said on Monday that a truce in Gaza would not necessarily bring an automatic end to hostilities across Lebanon's southern border and he warned about the risks of an escalation of the conflict.

Hochstein is visiting Beirut as part of diplomatic efforts to end four months of exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel taking place in parallel to the Gaza war.

It has marked the worst conflict across Lebanon's southern border since the 2006 war, fueling fears of a bigger confrontation.

"Escalation of violence is in no one's interest, and there is no such thing as a limited war," he told reporters after meeting Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who is close to Hezbollah.

Hochstein said friction on the border had increased in recent weeks.

"A temporary ceasefire is not enough. A limited war is not containable," he said.

Lebanon deputy parliament speaker Elias Bou Saab told Reuters he believed the timing of Hochstein's visit signaled progress in efforts over a Gaza truce.

Hezbollah has publicly indicated that it would halt its attacks on Israel from Lebanon when the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip stops, unless Israel kept shelling Lebanon.

But Hochstein said a Gaza truce would not automatically trigger calm in southern Lebanon and said he was "hopeful" for a diplomatic solution to the conflict across that border.

"It does not necessarily happen that when you have a ceasefire in Gaza, it just automatically extends" to Lebanon, hesaid.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A Manitoba man convicted of murder 50 years ago has been acquitted. Clarence Woodhouse was found guilty in 1974 of fatally beating and stabbing a restaurant worker in downtown Winnipeg.

An Ontario child has died after coming in contact with a rabid bat, a health official confirmed on Wednesday.

Local Spotlight

The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.

On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.