Beirut: US envoy Amos Hochstein has reported significant progress in ongoing negotiations aimed at achieving a cease-fire between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Following discussions with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Hochstein announced his plans to travel to Israel to continue cease-fire talks with officials there. According to Anadolu Agency, Hochstein expressed optimism during a press conference, stating, "The meeting today built on the meeting yesterday and made additional progress, so I will travel from here in a couple of hours to Israel to try to bring this to a close if we can." He emphasized the importance of his visit to Israel by saying, "As planned, if we made progress, I would go to Israel." Hochstein also mentioned that discussions are ongoing with the incoming US administration to ensure they are fully informed of the developments. He highlighted the US's role as a mediator between Tel Aviv and Beirut to achieve a cease-fire deal that would end more than a year of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The conflict, which escalated with an Israeli air campaign against alleged Hezbollah targets in late September, has resulted in significant casualties. Lebanese health authorities report that more than 3,500 individuals have been killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon, with nearly 15,000 injured and over a million displaced since last October. The US, as Israel's primary ally, continues to play a critical role in facilitating negotiations to bring an end to the hostilities.