Ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appears imminent
There are increasing signs of an imminent ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Reuters reports that Israel's National Security Cabinet will meet on Tuesday to approve a proposal by the US and several Israeli media report that Jerusalem will approve the plan.
On Monday, CNN and other media wrote that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a ceasefire agreement with Lebanese militia Hezbollah “in principle” during a security consultation. Netanyahu has not responded, but according to The Times Of Israel, he is working on the message to sell the agreement to Israelis.
US mediator Amos Hochstein was in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, last week to discuss the proposal with the Lebanese speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, who is negotiating the ceasefire on behalf of Hezbollah.
“We are moving in the direction towards a deal, but there are still some issues to address,” Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer told Reuters, without elaborating what these issues were.
According to international media, the present agreement includes a 60-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah. It also mentions a withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from southern Lebanon. Hezbollah would also withdraw from the area.
The battle between Hezbollah and the Israeli army has turned into an open war since 23 September, after a year of skirmishes at the border in southern Lebanon. Since 30 September, the Israeli army has also been conducting ground operations in southern Lebanon. The two sides attacked each other again on Monday.
Lebanese Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, US special envoy Amos Hochstein and US ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson in Beirut, 20 November 2024 © PHOTO AFP
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