The United States has put forward a proposal to de-escalate hostilities in Lebanon, a US official told Al Jazeera, adding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The proposal comes as Israeli forces captured the medieval Beaufort Castle north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon, marking their deepest push into the country in decades. Under the US “roadmap”, Hezbollah would halt all attacks on Israel in exchange for Israel refraining from further escalation in Beirut.

However, Netanyahu, who called the capture of Beaufort a “dramatic shift”, ordered the military to attack targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. The US official blamed Hezbollah for the fighting, accusing it of following Iran’s directives.

“The quickest way to protect civilians and reduce escalation is for Hezbollah to cease fire immediately,” the official said, adding that Washington does not expect Israel to tolerate continued attacks.

Over 1 million people have been displaced in Lebanon since March 2, with more than 3,412 killed and 10,269 wounded, according to Lebanese health authorities. France, the UK, Qatar, and Egypt condemned Israel’s escalation, with French President Macron saying “nothing justifies” it.

Source: www.aljazeera.com