U.S. Envoy Will Head to Israel, Citing Progress on Lebanon Cease-Fire

A top U.S. envoy said on Wednesday that he would travel to Israel after two days of progress in cease-fire talks in Lebanon, as the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said an end to its war with Israel was now in the hands of Israeli leaders.

Amos Hochstein, the senior Biden administration envoy, said at a news conference in Beirut that there had been “additional progress” in his discussions with Lebanese officials, and that he would go to Israel later Wednesday “to try to bring this to a close if we can.”

Mr. Hochstein met for a second straight day with Nabih Berri, the Hezbollah-allied speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, who has emerged as the group’s point man in the U.S.-led negotiations. During repeated rounds of shuttle diplomacy over the past year, Mr. Hochstein has seldom stayed overnight in Lebanon, so his extended visit raised hopes that negotiations were moving ahead.

The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, confirmed that Mr. Hochstein was expected to arrive in Israel on Wednesday night for further talks. Omer Dostri, the prime minister’s spokesman, said Mr. Hochstein was set to meet with Mr. Netanyahu on Thursday.

In a televised address during Mr. Hochstein’s visit, Hezbollah’s new leader, Naim Qassem, said that Hezbollah had provided its response to the U.S. cease-fire proposal. He added that a truce now depended on Israel’s response and the “seriousness” of Mr. Netanyahu.

“Any cease-fire negotiations must adhere to two demands: the total cessation of hostilities by Israel, and the preservation of Lebanese sovereignty,” Mr. Qassem said.