DUBAI, UAE - Israel has submitted a list of conditions to the US, which includes maintaining airspace freedom over Lebanon, as part of a potential diplomatic solution to end its ongoing war with Hezbollah, US and Israeli officials said. The document, handed to US officials on October 19, was delivered ahead of US envoy Amos Hochstein’s visit to Beirut on Monday, where he is expected to discuss these demands with Lebanese leaders.

The document outlines several key Israeli conditions aimed at ending the war and allowing displaced civilians from both sides of the border to return to their homes. Among the demands, Israel seeks to ensure that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) can actively prevent Hezbollah from rearming or rebuilding military infrastructure in southern Lebanon near the border. Additionally, Israel insists that its air force must maintain freedom of operation in Lebanese airspace.

These demands directly challenge UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which mandates that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) oversee the ceasefire and enforce the prevention of Hezbollah’s military activity in southern Lebanon.

“We are talking about 1701 with increased enforcement. Our main message is that if the Lebanese army and UNIFIL do more, the IDF will do less and the other way around,” an Israeli official told American news website Axios.

A US official acknowledged that Lebanon and the international community are unlikely to accept Israel’s conditions, which would undermine Lebanon's sovereignty.

Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri stressed on Sunday to al-Arabiya that Lebanon is committed to fully implementing Resolution 1701 without any modifications, rejecting Israel’s proposed changes.

As part of the diplomatic solution, Hochstein is pushing for the deployment of 8,000 Lebanese troops in southern Lebanon to help enforce the ceasefire and reduce Hezbollah's presence. He is also advocating for an upgraded mandate for UNIFIL to assist the Lebanese army in preventing armed groups from operating near the Israeli border.

In the meantime, tensions remain high. On Sunday night, ahead of Hochstein’s arrival, the Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes on Hezbollah-linked targets across Lebanon, including a building in Beirut, according to the IDF. Israeli intelligence officials said the targets were part of Hezbollah's independent financial network, which allegedly receives hundreds of millions of dollars annually from Iran.