Senior officials from the Biden administration referred to the revelation as a “breakthrough” during a late-night Zoom briefing that was so crowded with media that some had to be denied away.
What they meant was that, in light of the current explosive escalation, they considered winning over important European and Arab states—led by Washington—as a significant diplomatic victory.
However, this was a request for a ceasefire by global powers rather than an actual ceasefire.
The declaration calls for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah “to provide space” for additional mediated negotiations.
After that, it calls for a diplomatic solution in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was enacted to put an end to the most recent Israel-Lebanon conflict in 2006 but was never effectively carried out. It also demands consensus on the ongoing accord to end the Gaza conflict.
It ties up a number of already elusive regional goals into a three-week truce. Some have been inaccessible to diplomats for almost twenty years.
The fact that international leaders were in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly gave the Americans the advantage to release the text that had been agreed upon.
However, as has been rather evident on the ground, the “breakthrough” did not imply that Israel and Hezbollah had approved of anything at all.
