Israel and Lebanon have agreed on the terms of a truce deal that would see an end to aggressions,[Getty]
Israel and Lebanon have agreed on the terms of a truce deal, Axios reported on Monday citing a US official, which could end an Israeli onslaught that has killed thousands of Lebanese civilians.
Neither party has officially announced an agreement but the Israeli security cabinet is expected to approve the deal on Tuesday, the US official said.
“We think we have a deal. We are on the goal line but we haven’t passed it yet. The Israeli cabinet needs to approve the deal on Tuesday and something can always go wrong until then,” the US official said.
An Israeli official confirmed the security cabinet would meet on Tuesday, while four US and Israeli officials told Axios on Sunday that a deal was nearly finalised.
The Israeli government said on Monday they are edging toward a ceasefire with Hezbollah, but there are still certain issues that need to be addressed.
Meanwhile, Lebanese officials conveyed reserved optimism, saying Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted by the ICC on allegations of crimes against humanity, is not to be trusted.
Lebanon’s deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab said a decisive moment was approaching, but is not fully optimistic of an end to the agreession.
“The balance is slightly tilted towards there being (an agreement), but by a very small degree, because a person like Netanyahu cannot be trusted,” he said.
A second senior Lebanese official, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters, said Beirut had not received any new Israeli demands from US mediators, who were describing the atmosphere as positive and saying “things are in progress”.
Israel’s ambassador to Washington was quoted as saying a deal could transpire within days. CNN, citing a source, said Netanyahu had approved the emerging deal “in principle” but Israel still had reservations over some details.
The developments come as Israeli airstrikes continue to pound Beirut’s southern suburbs.
On Monday, Israel issued new threats of further strikes for buildings in the area and in the southern Lebanese town of Halta, ordering residents to leave.
The forced evacuation orders come a day after Hezbollah launched around 340 missiles and drones towards Tel Aviv, causing severe damage.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 3,754 people and wounded an additional 15,626 since 7 October 2023.
This is a developing story.
