10 Ways to (Maybe) End Conflict Between Israel and Lebanon

July 26, 2006 — -- ABC News asked a few Middle East analysts about their thoughts on possible solutions to the current conflict between Israel and Lebanon. Here's what they suggest:

Cease-fire

Fawaz Gerges

Professor of International Affairs and Middle Eastern studies, Sarah Lawrence College

"A cease-fire is crucial to preventing the collapse of the Lebanese government and to alleviate the suffering of the people," says Gerges. Beirut is now a ghost town, he says, and "the number of casualties and the destruction is overwhelming."

Peacekeeping force

Gerges

"The Lebanese army must then be deployed in southern Lebanon to replace Hezbollah.. The Lebanese army cannot handle this on its own and needs an international peacekeeping force to do this. The international peacekeeping force must also help the Lebanese government police the Lebanese-Israeli border."

An exchange of prisoners between Lebanon and Hezbollah

Anthony Cordesman

Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies

"There also need to be gestures from Israel, like negotiating the release of some prisoners to help pacify the situation."

Disarming Hezbollah

Alan Dershowitz

Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Harvard University

"To solve this crisis, the key is the creation of a multinational force to disarm Hezbollah by force if necessary."

Humanitarian aid to Lebanon

Gerges

"A major international aid package must be sent to the Lebanese people to help the country reconstruct."

Negotiations with the help of a third party

Judith Kipper

Director of the Middle East Forum at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"There is a solution to every human problem. The solution to this problem will come out of the current efforts at diplomacy. There will eventually be a cease-fire and then there will be negotiations between the two parties, possibly with the involvement of a third party.

Turn focus on Syria and deal with it as Hezbollah's source