BEIRUT: Israel’s security Cabinet was preparing to decide whether to accept a proposed ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah, an official said Monday (Nov 25), as the White House announced it believed a deal to end the fighting in Lebanon was “close”.
With truce talk intensifying, Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes killed at least 31 people on Monday, mostly in the south.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Israeli official told AFP that the country’s security Cabinet “will decide on Tuesday evening on the ceasefire deal”.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby expressed optimism over the prospects for a truce but said talks were ongoing.
“We believe we’ve reached this point where we’re close,” Kirby told reporters, adding “we’re not there yet”.
The United States repeatedly voiced optimism over talks on reaching a truce in the Gaza war this year but Israel is still bombarding the Palestinian enclave as it battles on the second front in Lebanon.
France, which alongside Washington has spearheaded efforts towards a Lebanon truce, on Monday reported “significant progress” in talks on a ceasefire. The French presidency urged Israel and Hezbollah to “seize this opportunity”.
Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group of nations, voiced “optimism” about a Lebanon ceasefire.
Israel, Hezbollah in heavy exchanges of fire despite EU ceasefire call
The US news site Axios had previously reported the parties were nearing an agreement that would involve a 60-day transition period in which the Israeli army would pull back, the Lebanese army would redeploy near the border and Iran-backed Hezbollah would withdraw its heavy weapons north of the Litani River.
The draft agreement also provides for the establishment of a US-led committee to oversee implementation, as well as US assurances that Israel can take action against imminent threats if the Lebanese military does not, according to Axios.
If the deal happens, the biggest sticking point would be how to implement and enforce various aspects of the agreement, including who will hold the ground north of the Israeli border to the Litani River, said analyst Javed Ali.
Parties will also look to ensure Hezbollah “doesn’t come back” and continue to “build the operational infrastructures to threaten Israel”, added the associate professor of practice at the University of Michigan’s Gerald Ford School of Public Policy.
He told CNA938: “Israel has already said that if they think there’s a violation of these terms … they will resume the attacks they’ve conducted against Hezbollah over the past few months. We’ve all seen how destructive those are.”
In comparison to the war in Gaza, Ali said it appears there is “more momentum” for Israel and Hezbollah to reach a deal than there is for Israel and Hamas, which still have “very far apart” positions.
