The UK Defense Senior Advisor to the Middle East and North Africa (DSAME) Vice Admiral Edward Ahlgren, met Wednesday with senior Lebanese and U.N. officials and reiterated the UK’s call for an immediate ceasefire, and a political solution in line with UNSC Resolution 1701. Ahlgren expressed condolences on the deaths of Lebanese Army soldiers and officers, and Lebanese civilians.

Ahlgren met with Nabih Berri, Speaker of Parliament, General Joseph Aoun, Chief of Defense for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon and held a virtual meeting with Force Commander Major General Aroldo Lázaro, UNIFIL Head of Mission. He was accompanied during his visits by British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell and Defense Attaché Lt. Colonel Charles Smith.

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, seeking to broker a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war, will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, the premier's office said.

The announcement by spokesman Omer Dostri came after Israeli media outlets reported that Hochstein had arrived in Israel on Wednesday evening and held talks with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation described the Hochstein-Dermer talks as "constructive."

Speaker Nabih Berri has told his visitors that U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein’s visits to Lebanon and Israel will be his last, noting that “the negotiations this time are based on something, pending the Israeli response.”

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said in a speech aired Wednesday that the success of the ongoing U.S.-led negotiations with Israel depends on the Israeli response and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's “seriousness.”

“Israel cannot impose its conditions on us,” Qassem stressed, emphasizing that Hezbollah will not accept a truce with Israel that would violate Lebanon's sovereignty.

U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein said Wednesday that he made "additional progress" in the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire talks after he held a second meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri.

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein was in Lebanon Wednesday, seeking to hammer out a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, as the militant group battled Israeli troops in the south of the country.

Speaker Nabih Berri announced Tuesday that the situation was “good in principle” following his two-hour meeting in Ain el-Tineh with U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein, who is trying to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon.

Hezbollah said it launched missiles at a military intelligence base near Tel Aviv on Tuesday and attacked Israeli troops near four south Lebanon villages as a U.S. envoy visited Beirut for ceasefire talks.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Tuesday told visiting U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein that “the government’s priority is reaching a ceasefire, ending the aggression against Lebanon and preserving Lebanese sovereignty across all Lebanese territory.”

Hezbollah swiftly announced the postponement of its chief Sheikh Naim Qassem's speech after saying in a previous statement that he would give a speech on Tuesday.

The statement and the postponement came as U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein visited Beirut seeking an end to the Israel-Hezbollah war.