Axios reported, citing a senior American official, that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held contacts during the past 48 hours with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as part of efforts to advance a new ceasefire initiative between Lebanon and Israel. According to the official, the initiative was proposed within the ongoing negotiations between the two sides, and a new round of talks will be held between Lebanese and Israeli diplomats in Washington this week. He explained that the American proposal stipulates, in its first phase, that Hezbollah stop all its attacks against Israel, in exchange for Israel refraining from carrying out any escalation in Beirut, considering that this step would open the way for a gradual reduction of tensions and an effective cessation of hostilities. The official pointed out that "President Aoun tried to advance this proposal and secure an agreement on it, but the response of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was evasive and disappointing." He added, "Berry confirmed his ability to ensure Hezbollah's commitment to the ceasefire, but stressed the need for Israel to stop firing first, even though the party "was the one who started this round of fighting." The American official accused Hezbollah of following Tehran's directives and not showing actual interest in the interests of the Lebanese people, considering that "Iran seeks to prolong the war in Lebanon so that it can later claim to save the situation." He concluded by saying: “The United States does not expect Israel to continue to tolerate attacks on civilians by a terrorist organization,” considering that “the quickest way to reduce the escalation and protect civilians from all sides is for Hezbollah to cease fire immediately.”