US envoy heads to Israel after progress on Hezbollah ceasefire

Since the conflict intensified in late September, Lebanese authorities have said any deal should be based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.

The resolution includes the removal of Hezbollah’s fighters and weapons in areas between the Blue Line – the unofficial frontier between Lebanon and Israel – and the Litani river, about 30km (20 miles) from the boundary with Israel.

Israel says that was never fully respected, while Lebanon says Israel has violated the resolution by carrying out military flights over the country.

A potential deal would likely establish a timeline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the south of Lebanon and include the deployment there of thousands of additional troops of the Lebanese army.

But questions remain about how the Lebanese troops would operate against Hezbollah, which is heavily armed and backed by Iran, amid fears this could exacerbate sectarian tensions.

Israel’s stated goal in its war against Hezbollah is to allow the return of about 60,000 residents who have been displaced from communities in the country’s north because of the group’s attacks.

In Lebanon, the conflict has killed more than 3,500 people, forced more than one million from their homes, Lebanese authorities say. It has also caused an estimated $8.5bn (£6.7bn) in economic damages and losses, according to the World Bank.