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

A top U.S. envoy met with Lebanese officials for a second day on Wednesday, continuing an unusually long visit amid cautious optimism over a potential cease-fire agreement in the war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Speaking at a news conference in Beirut, Amos Hochstein, the senior Biden administration envoy, said that there had been “additional progress” as a result of the latest discussions, and that he would travel to Israel later on Wednesday “to try to bring this to a close if we can.”

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

Mr. Hochstein spoke to reporters in Beirut after meeting 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 the extended visit raised hopes that negotiations could be inching forward.

The Biden administration dispatched Mr. Hochstein to the region in what amounted to a last-ditch effort to close a deal before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office in January. Mr. Hochstein said on Wednesday that the Biden administration would coordinate with the incoming Trump administration over cease-fire efforts in Lebanon, and that he did not believe the transfer of power in Washington would imperil efforts to bring about peace.

“We are going to work with the incoming administration. We are already going to be discussing this with them,” he said.