Senior Biden officials head to Israel amid Lebanon cease-fire talks

TEL AVIV — Senior White House officials will travel to Israel on Thursday, a U.S. official and a source briefed on the matter told NBC News, as the Biden administration intensifies efforts to end the conflicts in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

The officials are expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the possibility of a deal to end the fighting in Lebanon, the source said.

Brett McGurk, National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East, and Amos Hochstein, a U.S. special envoy with a focus on Lebanon, are also expected to meet other senior Israeli officials, the source said. McGurk and Hochstein will engage the U.S. ally on a range of issues including Gaza, Lebanon, hostages and Iran, the U.S. official said.

Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla  is also traveling to the Middle East to discuss regional defense while CIA Director William Burns will be in Cairo on Thursday, the official added. The U.S. and regional mediators are hoping to make progress in a renewed bid to pause the fighting in Gaza, where Israel’s deadly assault on the north of the Palestinian enclave is fueling mounting alarm from global officials and aid groups.

But the visit of McGurk and Hochstein comes amid growing optimism in Israel that a cease-fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon could now be reached without a deal to end the war in Gaza. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, has insisted it will keep fighting until there is a truce with Hamas. 

But Israel has inflicted a number of serious blows against Hezbollah in recent months, including the assassination of its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, while limiting the group’s ability to cause major damage to Israeli cities with its vast arsenal of rockets. 

“The feeling in the security echelon is they have had quite a bit of success against Hezbollah and it’s time to quit while you’re ahead,” said the source briefed on the matter.