US pushes Lebanon and Israel on new ceasefire plan, official says

 


May 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, a U.S. official said on Sunday.

The U.S. has proposed that as a first step Hezbollah will stop all attacks on Israel and in return Israel would refrain from escalation in Beirut, the official said.

The U.S. official added that Aoun tried to advance this proposal, but Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri placed the burden on Israel to stop "shooting first."