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By Simon Lewis and David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Hezbollah’s name for a ceasefire on Tuesday reveals the militant group is on the again foot and “getting battered,” U.S. State Division spokesperson Matthew Miller instructed a daily briefing on Tuesday.
Hezbollah’s deputy chief Naim Qassem stated in a televised deal with on Tuesday the Iran-backed group’s capabilities had been intact and its fighters had been pushing again Israeli floor incursions, regardless of the “painful blows” inflicted by Israel in latest weeks.
Qassem stated the group supported the efforts of Lebanon’s Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, to safe a ceasefire, with out offering additional particulars on any circumstances demanded by Hezbollah.
“For a 12 months, you had the world calling for this ceasefire, you had Hezbollah refusing to agree to at least one, and now that Hezbollah is on the again foot and is getting battered, instantly they’ve modified their tune and need a ceasefire,” Miller stated.
“We proceed to in the end need a diplomatic answer to this battle,” Miller stated.
Requested if the US was speaking to Berri about efforts in Lebanon to decide on a brand new president, Miller stated U.S. officers had been having conversations with totally different gamers inside Lebanon, usually via intermediaries.
“These are ongoing,” Miller stated. “I do not suppose it is productive for me to learn them out publicly.”
Israel’s offensive towards Hezbollah in Lebanon has prompted a renewed bid by some Lebanese politicians to fill a two-year presidential vacuum, an effort to revive the paralyzed state because it grapples with an escalating battle.
(Reporting by Simon Lewis, David Brunnstrom and Ismail Shakil; Modifying by Rod Nickel)
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