The US visit came as Palestinian resistance group Hamas rejected separate plans for a temporary truce proposed for the Israeli war on Gaza, where Israeli deadly strikes continued overnight.
Less than a week before the US presidential election, Washington's envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk were expected in Israel as Israeli forces continued their relentless bombardment and ground invasion of Lebanon.
On Wednesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed optimism about a ceasefire in "the coming hours or days" and Hezbollah's new leader Naim Qassem said the group would accept a truce under certain conditions.
According to Israeli media reports citing government sources, the plan brokered by the US team would see Hezbollah forces retreat around 20 miles (30 kilometres) from the border, north of the Litani river.
Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and the Lebanese army would then take charge of the border, alongside UN peacekeepers.
At the same time, Lebanon would be responsible for preventing Hezbollah from rearming itself with imported weapons, as per the proposed agreement.
'Sharp conclusion'
Diplomatic efforts are also underway to agree on a short halt to Israel's war on Gaza, where Israel has pummelled the territory for more than a year, reducing the Gaza Strip to rubble, displacing the majority of its 2.4 million population and killing over 43,000 people, mostly children and women.
On Thursday, senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP that the group rejected the idea of a "short-term pause" mooted by US and Qatari mediators.
"The idea of a temporary pause in the war, only to resume aggression later, is something we have already expressed our position on. Hamas supports a permanent end to the war, not a temporary one," Nunu said.
Any deal to stabilise Israel's front with Lebanon is likely to come first, ahead of any ceasefire for Gaza.
Last week, Israel's chief of general staff Herzi Halevi said: "In the north, there's a possibility of reaching a sharp conclusion."
On Thursday, Israel pressed its onslaught in Lebanon, which has already killed thousands of civilians and displaced more than a million.
The Israeli army again issued an expulsion order for civilians in several areas of southern Lebanon, including the Palestinian refugee camp of Rashidieh.
Previous such warnings in recent days have been swiftly followed by deadly air strikes, and several bombings were reported near the coastal city of Tyre shortly after it was issued.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire on Israel. A rocket strike in the northern town of Metula killed a local farmer and four foreign farm workers, regional council head David Azoulai told AFP.
Hezbollah named Qassem as its new leader on Tuesday, following the Israeli assassination of his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, in a deadly air strike last month on south Beriut's suburbs.
In his first speech since taking over, Qassem said Hezbollah could continue to resist Israeli air and ground attacks in Lebanon for months.
But he also opened the door to a negotiated truce if presented with an offer.
"If the Israelis decide that they want to stop the aggression, we say we accept, but under the conditions that we see as appropriate and suitable," he said.
“Our resistance exists to liberate the land and confront the occupation and its expansionist ambitions,” Qassem affirmed, citing the daily incursions and violations as the driving force behind Hezbollah’s ongoing mission.
Qassem added that Israel’s disregard for United Nations Resolution 1701 — established to cease hostilities between Israel and Lebanon in 2006 — has been evident, with Hezbollah documenting over 39,000 air and sea violations since the resolution's enactment.
"Israel's hostile intentions toward Lebanon are clear, as the Israeli enemy has been assaulting Lebanon daily since 2006," he noted.
Air strikes
The Israeli war in Lebanon began late last month, nearly a year after low-intensity cross-border.
Israel has killed at least 1,754 people in Lebanon since September 23, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures, although the real number is likely to be higher.
The United Nations Children's agency UNICEF said on Thursday that the Israeli war in Lebanon has caused the death of at least one child per day and wounded an average of 10 since October 4.
Israel's army says it has lost 37 soldiers in Lebanon since its ground invasion began on September 30.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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