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Israel to decide on ceasefire as US says deal ‘close’

Ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah looks imminent, officials say

Published : Wednesday, 27 November, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 296
JERUSALEM, Nov 26:  Israel's security cabinet was due to meet Tuesday to vote on a proposed ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, an official said, while the White House voiced optimism that a deal was close.

The United States, European Union and United Nations have pushed for a halt to the long-running hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into full-scale war in late September.

As truce talks intensified, exchanges of cross-border fire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have also increased, with Israel reporting around 250 projectiles launched at its territory on Sunday alone.

On Tuesday, strikes hit Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold shortly after the Israeli military called for people to evacuate.

AFPTV footage showed multiple plumes of smoke rising from the area, a day after the Lebanese health ministry said Israeli air strikes killed 31 people, mostly in southern Lebanon.

On the diplomatic front, an Israeli official speaking on condition of anonymity said the security cabinet "will decide on Tuesday evening on the ceasefire deal".

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the talks were progressing but not yet finalised, noting, "We believe we've reached this point where we're close".

The United States and France have led efforts to broker a ceasefire.

France reported "significant progress" in talks, and Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group of nations, expressed "optimism" over a truce.

US news outlet Axios reported the draft agreement includes a 60-day transition period.

Israeli forces would withdraw, the Lebanese army would redeploy near the border, and Hezbollah would move heavy weapons north of the Litani River, said Axios.

A US-led committee would oversee implementation, with provisions allowing Israel to act against imminent threats if Lebanese forces fail to intervene.

News of the security cabinet meeting came as the Israeli military said it conducted a wave of strikes on Monday, including on Beirut's southern suburbs, which Israel has repeatedly bombed since late September when it escalated its air campaign in Lebanon.

Strikes hit around two dozen Hezbollah targets across Lebanon in one hour on Monday, the military said. The strikes followed intense Hezbollah fire over the weekend, including some attacks deep into Israel.

Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was likely to endorse the US ceasefire proposal.

Asked in New York about the possible truce agreement, Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon said "we are moving forward on this front", adding the cabinet would meet to discuss it.

Meanwhile, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah looked set to reach a ceasefire deal on Tuesday, Israeli and Lebanese officials said, clearing the way for an end to the conflict that has killed thousands of people since it was ignited by the Gaza war 14 months ago.

A senior Israeli official and Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib appeared optimistic that a deal could be reached, cooling a second front for Israel's military that is also battling the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

Israel's security cabinet is expected to convene later on Tuesday to likely approve a text at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior Israeli official said.

This would pave the way for a ceasefire declaration by U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, four senior Lebanese sources told Reuters on Monday.

At a foreign policy conference in Rome, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed hope that a deal to end the deadliest spillover from the Gaza war could be sealed by Tuesday night.

The agreement requires Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon and Lebanon's army to deploy in the region - a Hezbollah stronghold - within 60 days, officials say. Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the border south of the Litani River.

Bou Habib said the Lebanese army would be ready to have at least 5,000 troops deployed in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops withdraw, and that the United States could play a role in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by Israeli strikes.

In Washington, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday, "We're close" but "nothing is done until everything is done". The French presidency said discussions had made significant progress.    —AFP, REUTERS



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