Hochstein's visit came as the United Nations Security Council voted to renew the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force on the border, UNIFIL, for a further year.
Asked at the end of his two-day visit whether he had come to mediate between Lebanon and Israel in their long border dispute, Hochstein said that he had listened to the views of the Lebanese government and then visited the border area “to learn more about what is needed in order to be able to achieve an outcome.”
During his visit, he met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and other officials.
Can Amos Hochstein fix the Israel-Lebanon land border?
Hochstein, who last year brokered a maritime border deal between Lebanon and Israel that paved the way for gas exploration in the area, said that he also plans to hear the Israeli view “and to make an assessment if this is the right time and if we have a window of opportunity to be able to achieve it.” He added that the US “always supports what enables stability and security.” READ MORE
