The Israeli cabinet is set to vote on a U.S.-negotiated ceasefire proposal with Lebanon on Tuesday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the deal “in principle,” CNN reported Monday.
John Kirby, the White House national security communications advisor, told reporters at a briefing on Monday that an agreement to end the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah was “close,” but not a done deal.
“We believe that the trajectory of this is going in a very positive direction,” Kirby said. “But nothing is done until it’s all done, and it’s not done right now.”
Kirby said that U.S. presidential envoy Amos Hochstein’s meetings in the region had been “constructive” but declined to provide detail about the terms or remaining sticking points of a potential deal.
He also described Israeli media reports about a U.S. letter guaranteeing Israel military freedom of action as “rumors,” and said that he would not comment further on the matter.
The deal reportedly includes a 60-day withdrawal period in which Israeli forces would leave Lebanon. Hezbollah would simultaneously withdraw north of Lebanon’s Litani River, creating an approximately 18-mile buffer zone in Southern Lebanon that would be occupied by the Lebanese Army.
According to CNN, Netanyahu signaled his approval of the deal on Sunday night, and “a Lebanese official familiar with the discussions” said that a ceasefire was expected to be announced within 24 hours.
Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, said in a pre-recorded speech on Wednesday that he had passed along his comments on the deal to Hochstein via Lebanon’s Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri and that he would reject a deal that violated Lebanese sovereignty, but said that the decision to reach a ceasefire now rested with Netanyahu.
Hezbollah began firing cross-border rocket, missile and drone attacks into Israel just one day after the terrorist attacks by Hamas in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Hezbollah’s attacks have forced Israel to evacuate some 60,000 people from communities in the north of the country, effectively depopulating the border area for more than a year.
Israel in response has carried out airstrikes, ground operations and other efforts to eliminate Hezbollah and its stockpiles of weapons. Despite killing or wounding thousands of members of the terror group, including much of its leadership, Hezbollah continues to launch cross-border attacks and wounded one Israeli on Monday.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Netanyahu to reject the ceasefire deal on Monday.
“An agreement with Lebanon is a big mistake,” he wrote. “A historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah. I understand all the constraints and reasons, and it is still a grave mistake.”
