The Israeli security cabinet must decide on Tuesday on a ceasefire after two months of war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, while the United States spoke of a close agreement, while calling for caution.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said mid-afternoon on Tuesday that it was “conducting” airstrikes in the Beirut region, shortly after calling for the evacuation of around 20 areas in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital. The IDF also carried out airstrikes against around 30 targets in southern Lebanon since the start of the day.
A cabinet meeting this afternoon
The United States, the European Union and the UN have increased efforts in recent days to impose a truce between Israel and the Lebanese Islamist movement supported by Iran, which entered into open war at the end of September after months of exchanges of fire on the sidelines of the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday his country would act “strongly” if the deal was violated, hinting at an imminent response. Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, for her part, indicated that a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet must be held “this afternoon” to discuss the agreement, without specifying the details of the text. “given the sensitive nature of the issue”.
“No more additional requests”
Israel has “no excuse” to refuse a ceasefire, said Tuesday the head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell. “Hopefully today (Benjamin) Netanyahu’s government will approve the ceasefire agreement,” he added.
“No more excuses, no more additional requests, stop this fighting, stop killing people, and let’s start thinking about peace,” he insisted.
“We think we have reached the point where we are close” to an agreement, declared John Kirby, the spokesperson for the National Security Council of the White House, while emphasizing that nothing was yet certain and calling for the caution. On Monday, the Élysée also announced significant progress in the process.
“All of southern Lebanon has been destroyed”
“Let’s put pressure on Israel to approve the ceasefire proposal today,” Josep Borrell said on Tuesday, worrying about having “heard statements from extremist ministers in the Israeli government wanting to continue the bombings.” .
“A ceasefire is absolutely necessary if we want hundreds of thousands of displaced people to be able to return home,” he said, deploring that “all of southern Lebanon has been destroyed.”
On October 8, 2023, Hezbollah opened a front against Israel in support of Hamas, its Palestinian ally, target of a destructive offensive in Gaza launched by Israel in response to an unprecedented attack carried out by the Islamist movement against its territory on October 7, 2023. october.
Swiss
