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Ammon News - The Lebanese government is reviewing a US truce proposal in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, Lebanese officials told AFP on Friday, nearly two months since cross-border clashes escalated into a full-blown war.

Israel has intensified its bombing of mainly Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since September 23 and later sent in ground troops.

Ceasefire efforts spearheaded by the United States and France have so far failed to halt the hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese group.

But two Lebanese government officials said a new proposal was on the table.

Requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, one top official said US Ambassador Lisa Johnson discussed the plan on Thursday with Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Hezbollah-allied parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who has been involved in mediation efforts on behalf of the group.

The proposal comprises "13 points spanning five pages", said the official, offering few details.

If an agreement is reached, Washington and Paris would issue a joint statement, he said, followed by a 60-day truce during which Lebanon will redeploy troops in the southern border area, near Israel.

The proposal is "an American one, and Berri asked for a three-day period" to study it, the official added.

He also said Israel has yet to respond to the initiative.

Israeli officials have recently vowed no let-up in the fighting against Hezbollah.

A US State Department spokesperson declined to comment on "ongoing, private negotiations", but said that "we remain committed to a diplomatic resolution that restores a lasting calm allowing residents in both Lebanon and Israel to return safely to their homes."

A second Lebanese official, also requesting anonymity, confirmed a truce proposal was "under study" and said he was "optimistic" about the talks.

"The proposal is the result of the last meeting between Berri and (US special envoy Amos) Hochstein, who reached an understanding for a ceasefire roadmap based on implementing Resolution 1701," he said.

AFP