Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu signalled his potential approval for the emerging ceasefire with Hezbollah during a security consultation with Israeli officials on Sunday night….reports Asian Lite News
The Israeli cabinet will meet to discuss a ceasefire deal with Lebanon at the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, media reported citing a minister’s office, which comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his “in principle” approval to the plan
The meeting is scheduled to take place between 5:30 to 9 p.m. (local time), CNN reported.
Netanyahu signalled his potential approval for the emerging ceasefire with Hezbollah during a security consultation with Israeli officials on Sunday night.
Netanyahu’s spokesperson said the Israeli cabinet will vote on the proposed deal on Tuesday and it is expected to pass.
The report, however, said that Israel still has reservations over some details of the agreement, which were expected to be transmitted to the Lebanese government on Monday, adding that “those and other details are still being negotiated and multiple sources stressed that the agreement will not be final until all issues are resolved”.
CNN reported citing sources familiar with the negotiations that the talks appear to be moving positively toward an agreement but acknowledged that as Israel and Hezbollah continue to trade fire, one misstep could upend the talks.
Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, has expressed strong opposition to the deal, calling it a “big mistake” and a “historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah”.
Ben Gvir has also long worked to thwart potential ceasefire deals between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Benny Gantz, who resigned from Israel’s war cabinet in June over Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza, called on the Prime Minister to make the details of the ceasefire deal public.
“It is the right of the residents of the north, the fighters, and the citizens of Israel to know,” Gantz said.
Last week, US envoy Amos Hochstein said in Beirut that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon was “within our grasp,” but that it was ultimately “the decision of the parties”.
Later Monday, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said that Hochstein’s discussions had been “constructive”.
Israel’s Home Front Command also warned of a heightened risk of Hezbollah rocket fire before Tuesday’s crucial vote, and on Monday updated its defensive guidelines for several parts of northern Israel.
Israel and Lebanon have been engaged in a prolonged conflict that began on October 8 last year, when Hezbollah attacked Israeli-controlled territory in solidarity with Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by CNN.
Intense airstrikes continue
At least 36 people were killed and 17 others injured in Israeli airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, according to media reports.
Israeli airstrikes on the eastern Lebanese governorate of Baalbek-Hermel killed 11 people, including eight in a residential apartment in the village of Nabi Chit and three others in Hermel, the official National News Agency ( NNA) reported on Monday.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed 25 people, including nine in the village of Maarakeh, three in the village of Ain Baal, two in the town of Ghazieh, 10 in the Tyre district, and one in the village of Yohmor, the NNA reported, adding that the airstrikes also injured 17 people in Tyre.
On Monday, Hezbollah targeted Shraga Base, the administrative headquarters of the Golani Brigade Command, north of the occupied city of Acre, with a barrage of rockets, the NNA reported.
Saudi calls for regional stability at G7-Arab meet
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan participated in an expanded session of the second meeting between G7 foreign ministers and their Arab counterparts on Monday, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Hosted in Italy under the theme “Together for the Stability of the Middle East,” the session addressed key regional and global challenges.
Officials from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and Egypt, alongside the secretary-general of the Arab League, took part in the discussions. Prince Faisal underscored the importance of strengthening partnerships to effectively address pressing issues, including the ongoing crises in Gaza and Lebanon.
He urged the international community to act urgently to secure a ceasefire, ensure unhindered humanitarian aid, and advance efforts toward establishing an independent Palestinian state. Additionally, Prince Faisal emphasized the need to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and called for renewed international efforts to resolve the crisis in Sudan, stressing the urgency of alleviating human suffering in the region.
The meeting, aimed at fostering collaboration to enhance stability across the Middle East, also included Saudi Ambassador to Italy, Prince Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdul Aziz. The discussions reinforced the collective commitment of G7 nations and Arab states to address critical regional issues and promote lasting peace and stability.
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