Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has in principle approved a draft ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah during security consultations with Israeli officials on Sunday evening, a source told CNN. The approval of the proposal was not final, as several issues still need to be resolved, but Jerusalem has approved the main provisions of the proposal. Sources emphasize that the agreement will not be final until all issues are resolved.
As reported by The Times of Israel, the consultations are focused on how to present the agreement to the public.
The meeting took place at a time when Israel was under rocket fire from Lebanon throughout the day, and the Air Force carried out several strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut.
Haaretz reported that the proposal will include three stages: a truce, after which Hezbollah will withdraw its forces north of the Litani River, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Southern Lebanon, and finally, Israeli-Lebanese negotiations on the demarcation of disputed border territories. Monitoring of the ceasefire will be entrusted to an international body led by the United States, and Israel expects to receive a letter from Washington confirming its right to military action if Hezbollah violates the terms of the truce in the absence of actions by Lebanese military and international forces.
The US-backed proposal aims to achieve a 60-day cessation of hostilities, which is hoped to form the basis for a long-term ceasefire.
As reported by Israeli media, US special envoy Amos Hochstein told Israeli officials over the weekend that this is their last chance to move forward with the deal, clarifying that if they do not accept it, Israel and Hezbollah will have to wait for the inauguration of the new president, Donald Trump, in January before American mediation efforts resume.
The negotiations continued amidst massive Hezbollah strikes on Israel, which analysts believe the group sees as an additional tool in the truce negotiations. As reported by Ynet, Israel also intends to intensify strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut to inflict as much damage as possible on its potential before the deal is concluded.
Sources familiar with the negotiations said that the talks seem to be moving in a positive direction, but acknowledged that since Israel and Hezbollah continue to exchange fire, one wrong move could derail the negotiations.
Photo: AP