The newspaper reported that prior to US President Joe Biden’s speech presenting the Israeli proposal for a hostage deal, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabia Berri, received a phone call from American envoy Amos Hochstein, who is responsible for monitoring the Lebanese case. The conversation, lasting about 40 minutes, included Hochstein emphasizing the American administration’s commitment to completing negotiations for a solution on the southern front and efforts to bring calm to Gaza before addressing points of dispute.
Sources familiar with the conversation stated that Speaker Berri appeared surprised by the call, suggesting that the American mediator’s optimism had waned due to the Israeli government’s response to Biden’s proposal. The situation seemed to suggest that reaching a resolution was becoming increasingly challenging.