Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed optimism on Wednesday that a ceasefire with Israel may be reached, saying that a deal may be concluded in days. This hope came as Israel’s public broadcaster Kan published details of a draft agreement allegedly written by Washington, which proposes a 60-day truce.

 Main Ceasefire Points

Kan says that based on the draft, Israeli would withdraw from Lebanon before even a week of implementation under the proposed ceasefire terms while opening the first 60 days of the truce, hence laying foundation toward possible peace and the ceasing of civilian casualties surging and displacement. Earlier on, Prime Minister Mikati had been optimistic concerning the outcome following his telephone discussion with U.S. middle-east envoy Amos Hochstein, who had portrayed some hope that an accord may be reached early in November.

We are doing everything we can, and we should remain optimistic that in the coming hours or days, we will have a ceasefire,” Mikati said during an interview on Al Jadeed television.

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US Response to Leaked Draft

The White House, as of this writing, has not confirmed the authenticity of the document, but Sean Savett, a spokesman, noted that “there are multiple drafts circulating” and that these “may not reflect ongoing negotiations.” Later this month, a delegation led by US Security Advisor Brett McGurk and Hochstein will travel to Israel to discuss more-broad regional security concerns regarding the conflict in Gaza and hostilities in Lebanon.

Escalation in Lebanon

Israeli forces and Hezbollah continue to clash in southern Lebanon, and the fighting has intensified over the past few weeks. On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes hit Baalbek in eastern Lebanon-an ancient city home to historic Roman temples. Lebanese health officials said that these strikes killed 19 people and forced tens of thousands to flee. This latest escalation brings Lebanon’s civilian death toll to over 2,800, with more than 1.2 million displaced.

“The whole city is panicking,” said Bilal Raad, the regional head of Lebanon’s civil defense. “There’s this huge traffic jam because of people trying to leave in advance of the bombardment.”

Long-Term Ceasefire Plans

If Lebanon and Israel agree to put into action the U.N. Resolutions 1701 and 1559, requesting the disarmament of militias in southern Lebanon and introducing U.N. peacekeeping forces, then the ceasefire proposed for 60 days would extend to a permanent truce. Lebanon declared its commitment to honoring Resolution 1701, yet neither has followed through so far.

The push for peace in Lebanon is part of a greater diplomatic effort to end hostilities in the region, including Gaza, where U.S. officials are also working to establish a path to peace.