Israel to decide on ceasefire as US says deal 'close'

Israel’s security cabinet was due to meet Tuesday to vote on a proposed ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, an official said, while the White House voiced optimism that a deal was close.

The United States, European Union and United Nations have pushed in recent days for a truce in the long-running hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into full-scale war in late September.

As truce talks intensified, Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes killed at least 31 people on Monday, mostly in the south.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the security cabinet “will decide on Tuesday evening on the ceasefire deal”.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the talks were progressing but not finalised.

“We believe we’ve reached this point where we’re close,” he said, adding “we’re not there yet”.

While Israel presses its war in Gaza, the United States and France have led efforts to broker a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel is battling Hezbollah on a second front.

France reported “significant progress” in ceasefire talks, and Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group of nations, expressed “optimism” over a truce in Lebanon.

US news outlet Axios reported the draft agreement includes a 60-day transition period.

Israeli forces would withdraw, the Lebanese army would redeploy near the border, and Hezbollah would move heavy weapons north of the Litani River, said Axios.

A US-led committee would oversee implementation, with provisions allowing Israel to act against imminent threats if Lebanese forces fail to intervene, it added.

News of the security cabinet meeting came as the Israeli military said it carried out a wave of strikes on Monday, including on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold that Israel has repeatedly bombed since late September when it escalated its air campaign in Lebanon.

The latest strikes hit around two dozen Hezbollah targets across Lebanon in one hour, the military said.

The strikes followed intense Hezbollah fire over the weekend, including some attacks deep into Israel.