US bid for truce in Lebanon fails ahead of Nov 5 election: Sources

Proposal said to be unrealistic with Israel insisting on ability to enforce truce directly

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BEIRUT - American efforts to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah have failed after the US drafted an "unrealistic" ceasefire proposal and Israel insisted on being able to enforce a truce directly, people briefed on the diplomacy told Reuters.

With no workable proposal on the table ahead of the Nov 5 US presidential election, the conflict could drag on for months, according to a Lebanese political source close to Hezbollah, two diplomats and a person briefed on the talks.

They all spoke on condition of anonymity.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not respond to questions from Reuters.

A US official said talks between US envoys and Israeli officials on Oct 31 yielded better results than expected. A second US official described the meetings as "substantive" and "constructive" but said the US would not negotiate in public.

The State Department referred Reuters to comments by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said Israel and Lebanon were moving towards understandings on what was required to end the conflict but more work was needed.