Israel wants to give Trump a truce agreement in Lebanon as a “gift”: Report

Israeli officials are in talks with US President-elect Donald Trump and Jared Kushner to negotiate an immediate ceasefire deal in Lebanon with the help of Western and Russian cooperation, and create an early foreign policy win for Trump, according to a report citing three current and former Israeli officials briefed on the meeting.

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Netanyahu’s minister of strategic affairs, Ron Dermer made a stop at Mar-a-Lago as part of his US tour on Sunday before traveling to the White House to meet with Biden administration officials on the state of Lebanon talks.

The terms of the proposed ceasefire deal, according to the report, would require Hezbollah fighters to retreat beyond the Litani River – the northern edge of a UN-monitored buffer zone established after the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah – and the Lebanese military taking control of the border zone for 60 days, supervised by the US and Britain.

The broader aspects of the evolving deal are similar to those in previous rounds of negotiation and align with Trump’s desire to end Israel’s multifront war in the Middle East but the proposal has yet to be formally submitted to Hezbollah, according to officials in both countries.

The proposal also calls for the Israeli military to be able to operate across the border in case of violations. But if talks break down Israel is prepared to escalate military actions in Lebanon, with reports of ongoing ground operations already causing significant casualties on both sides.

Hezbollah is reportedly open to a temporary ceasefire if it involves Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the report cited a person close to the militant group as saying, but Lebanese officials have rejected terms that allow Israeli military operations within Lebanon.

If struck, the deal could provide Trump with early foreign policy success as he prepares to take office in January.

Trump has repeatedly said during his campaign rallies he wants to bring an end to the wars in the Middle East, but it is unclear what impact, if any, the Lebanon proposal would have on stalled ceasefire and hostage release talks in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu is focused on strengthening ties with Trump following his election win rather than the outgoing President Joe Biden, as he seeks to secure a ceasefire deal before Biden’s administration ends, potentially leaving a final resolution for Trump to claim credit for.