Lebanese Prime Minister: Hope for an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire in the coming hours and days

Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati said he spoke by phone Wednesday with U.S. President Joe Biden's Middle East envoy, Joseph Hockstein, and was told that a cease-fire in the Israeli-Hezbollah war was possible ahead of the November 5 U.S. election.

U.S. State Department spokesman Stephen Miller previously told reporters that Hockstein would travel to Israel on Wednesday to discuss cease-fire terms with Hezbollah.

In an interview with local media on Wednesday, Mikati said he was "cautiously optimistic" that a cease-fire would be achieved. "We are doing our best... A ceasefire in the coming hours and days."

Mikati revealed that Hezbollah no longer links the ceasefire in Lebanon to the ceasefire in Gaza, but he believes that Hezbollah failed to sever the relationship between the situation in Gaza and the Lebanese front in a timely manner.

Hezbollah has repeatedly said it will only stop its attacks on Israel if there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

Hezbollah's new leader, Khalid Qassem, said Wednesday that Hezbollah would accept a cease-fire under "appropriate and appropriate" conditions, but made no mention of Gaza.

Mikati said in an interview Wednesday that the army is ready to strengthen its military deployment in southern Lebanon to ensure that the only weapons and military infrastructure there are under state control. He also said efforts would continue to protect Lebanon's only airport from Israeli attacks.