Israel is expected to approve a U.S. ceasefire plan with Iran-backed Hezbollah on Tuesday, paving the way for an end to the war that has left thousands dead since it began, a senior Israeli official said. was triggered by the Gaza conflict 14 months ago.
Israel's security cabinet is expected to meet later Tuesday to discuss and likely approve the text in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the official said.
That 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.
In Washington, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday, “We're close,” but “nothing is done until everything is done.” The French presidency said talks on a ceasefire had made significant progress.
The deal has already been approved in Beirut, where the vice-speaker of the Lebanese parliament told Reuters on Monday that there were no longer any serious obstacles to its implementation unless Mr Netanyahu changes his mind. 'notice.
Mr Netanyahu's office on Monday declined to comment on reports that Israel and Lebanon had agreed on the text of a deal.
Hezbollah, considered a terrorist group by Washington, supported its ally, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, to negotiate.
The plan calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and the deployment of Lebanese army troops to the border region – a Hezbollah stronghold – within 60 days, Vice President Elias Bou Saab told Reuters of the Lebanese Parliament, and a second Israeli official.
Signs of a breakthrough were accompanied by a military escalation, with Israeli airstrikes demolishing part of Beirut's southern suburbs, controlled by Hezbollah, on Monday.
The destruction of large areas of Lebanon highlights the huge reconstruction bill facing the cash-strapped country, with more than a million people displaced.
In Israel, a ceasefire will allow 60,000 people to return to their homes in the north, which they evacuated when Hezbollah began firing rockets in support of its Palestinian ally, Hamas, in the aftermath of the assault launched by this group on October 7, 2023.
PAINFUL BLOWS
Israel has dealt Hezbollah heavy blows since it went on the offensive against the group in September, killing its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and other top commanders, and shelling areas of Lebanon where the group has strongholds. 'influence. The group continued its rocket fire toward Israel, firing some 250 rockets on Sunday.
Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said Monday that Israel would retain the ability to strike southern Lebanon regardless of the agreement reached. Lebanon has previously opposed granting such a right to Israel, and Lebanese officials said such language was not included in the draft proposal.
Israel could only strike against “imminent threats,” the second Israeli official said.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday that differences between the two sides had narrowed significantly, but there were still steps to take to reach an agreement.
“Often the very last stages of a deal are the most difficult, because the most sensitive issues are left out until the end,” he said. “We are doing everything in our power to achieve this.
In Beirut, Bou Saab told Reuters on Monday that there were no longer “serious obstacles” to implementing a proposed US ceasefire with Israel, “unless “Netanyahu is not changing his mind.”
Over the past year, more than 3,750 people have been killed and more than a million forced to leave their homes, according to Lebanon's health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters. in its figures.
Hezbollah strikes killed 45 civilians in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. According to Israeli authorities, at least 73 Israeli soldiers have been killed in northern Israel, the Golan Heights and during fighting in southern Lebanon.
Mr. Biden's administration, which leaves office in January, has focused on diplomacy to end the Lebanese conflict, even as all negotiations to end the parallel war in Gaza are frozen.
US Mideast envoy Brett McGurk will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss using a possible ceasefire in Lebanon as a catalyst for a deal ending hostilities in Gaza, he said. indicated the White House.
Diplomacy on Lebanon has focused on reestablishing a ceasefire based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the last major war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006.
This resolution demands that Hezbollah withdraw its fighters approximately 30 km from the Israeli border, behind the Litani River, and that the regular Lebanese army enter the border region.
Israel has long complained that Resolution 1701 was never properly implemented, highlighting the presence of Hezbollah fighters and weapons on the border. Lebanon also complained that Israel had violated the agreement, noting regular violations of Lebanese airspace by Israeli warplanes.
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