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US officials are renewing efforts to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

What’s the deal: This week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is leading a renewed push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah and Israel-Hamas conflicts, embarking on his 11th trip to the Middle East since the war began last October. Blinken’s visit, along with US envoy Amos Hochstein’s separate mission to Lebanon, marks another attempt by the Biden administration to negotiate a pause in the fighting, especially before the upcoming US elections.

During his trip, Hochstein said, “We are either going to reach a solution or things are going to escalate out of control.”

Focusing on Lebanon: Over the last month, Israel ramped up its military operations against Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed terrorist organization that operates within Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes have targeted Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut and areas near the Lebanese-Israeli border, which has resulted in a significant number of civilian casualties. Hezbollah has responded with increased missile attacks on northern Israel, which has been a key trigger for Israel’s intensified bombing campaign. The strikes have resulted in approximately 1.2 million people being displaced.

What Israel wants: Israel has demanded that Hezbollah abide by UN Resolution 1701, which mandates that Hezbollah stay away from the Israeli border. Israel argues that until Hezbollah complies with the resolution, they cannot safely return their citizens to border communities that are under constant threat of Hezbollah rocket attacks. There are also reports that Israel is demanding the release of hostages from Hamas as part of any ceasefire deal regarding Lebanon.