Israeli PM approves Lebanon ceasefire deal ‘in principle’

Israeli PM approves Lebanon ceasefire deal ‘in principle’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave “in principle” approval to the emerging ceasefire deal with Hezbollah during a security consultation with Israeli officials on Sunday night, according to a source familiar with the matter.

While Israel has some concerns about certain aspects of the agreement, these reservations were expected to be communicated to the Lebanese government on Monday.

Multiple sources emphasized that the deal will not be finalized until all outstanding issues are resolved.

The ceasefire agreement still requires approval from the Israeli cabinet, which has not yet been granted.

Sources close to the negotiations indicated that talks are progressing positively toward an agreement, but they also cautioned that, as Israel and Hezbollah continue exchanging fire, a single misstep could derail the discussions.

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U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, who visited Beirut last week, stated that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon was “within our grasp,” but emphasized that the decision ultimately rests with the parties involved. He met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is serving as the intermediary with Hezbollah in the talks, and described the discussions as “constructive” and “very good” in narrowing the gaps.

“We have a real opportunity to bring this conflict to an end,” he said last week. “The window is now.” He departed Lebanon for Israel on Wednesday, aiming to bring the negotiations “to a close.”

The U.S.-backed proposal seeks to establish a 60-day cessation of hostilities, which some hope could serve as the foundation for a lasting ceasefire.

On Sunday, CNN analyst and Axios reporter Barak Ravid cited a source who said Hochstein had warned the Israeli ambassador to Washington on Saturday that if Israel did not respond positively to the ceasefire proposal in the coming days, he would withdraw from the mediation efforts.

Hochstein’s visit to the region came after Beirut responded “positively” to the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal, according to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who stated last week that significant portions of the draft agreement had been resolved.

Israel launched a major military offensive in Lebanon in mid-September following months of tit-for-tat border attacks. This conflict began on October 8 of the previous year when Hezbollah attacked Israeli-controlled territory in support of Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza.

Since then, Israel has initiated a ground invasion, killed several Hezbollah leaders, including one of its founders, and inflicted thousands of casualties in an attack involving exploding pagers.

Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at NeptunePrime.

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