Israel’s Cabinet is scheduled to vote on a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly gave his approval to the plan “in principle” following security consultations with Israeli officials.
Here are 10 points about ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.
Israeli officials are scheduled to meet on Tuesday night to finalize a ceasefire agreement, as the United States, European Union and United Nations have called for a ceasefire in the long-running hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in recent days. 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 details of the ceasefire public. “Prime Minister Netanyahu, present us with a deal. It is the right of northerners, fighters and the Israeli people to know,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X. A deal to end the fighting calls for the first two things – the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon during a cease-fire in January, and Hezbollah’s military presence south of the Litani River, more than 28 kilometers from the border with Israel. The Israeli Times reported that the The United States, which has repeatedly advocated for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, expressed optimism about the prospects for a ceasefire. “We believe we have reached a point close to a ceasefire,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. Earlier this month, Qatar, which was a key part of the denial of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, withdrew as a mediator. He also warned Hamas that the Doha office “no longer serves its purpose.” Amid ceasefire talks, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Monday that the war crimes case against Netanyahu was inadequate and that Netanyahu “deserves death.” This comes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) last week issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu. Gaza is engaged in a long-running conflict that began on October 7 last year, sparking a series of retaliatory border attacks between Israel and Lebanon, which Lebanese media described as intense fighting in the border area. A fierce gunfight continues between Israel and Hezbollah, with reports saying that on Sunday, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah fired around 250 rockets and other missiles in one of the heaviest barrages in months. Recent Israeli airstrikes have also hit around 20 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, killing more than 3,700 people since October last year.
