'Good progress' made on Lebanon-Israel truce, Blinken says

The US has seen "good progress" being made between Lebanon and Israel on a potential truce, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Thursday.

The comments follow news that US envoy Amos Hochstein left the region without making a stop in Beirut. He had been in Israel for talks. 

"We are working very hard and making progress on reaching understandings of what would be required for the effective implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701. This would be the basis of a diplomatic resolution to the crisis," Blinken said, referring to the 2006 mandate.

"It's important to make sure that we have clarity both from Lebanon and from Israel, about what would be required under 1701 to get its effective implementation, the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from the border, the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the authorities under which they'd be acting, [and] an appropriate enforcement mechanism," he added.

"I can tell you that, based on my recent trip to the region, the work that's ongoing right now, we have made good progress on those understandings. We still have more work to do, but that's what's necessary to get us to [a] diplomatic resolution, including through the ceasefire."