GUWAHATI: The Israeli government is likely to give its nod to a ceasefire plan with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah later on Tuesday.
According to reports, the possibility of the truce became real after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his "in principle" approval to the plan after a security consultation with officials.
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The plan has been brokered by the United States – Israel’s main ally – and France.
The truce would bring to an end the 14-month-long conflict that has left nearly 4,000 dead and countless homeless. However, both sides continued to launch strikes, and Israel’s war on Gaza continues uninterrupted.
Asked in New York about the prospect of a truce agreement, Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon said “we are moving forward on this front”, appearing to confirm that the cabinet would discuss the plan.
The reports quoting Lebanese sources had earlier said that the truce declaration would be made by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Elias Bou Saab, Lebanon’s deputy parliament speaker, said that the ceasefire has been approved in Beirut after Hezbollah endorsed its ally Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to negotiate.
The French presidency said discussions on a ceasefire had made significant progress.
“We’re close” but “nothing is done until everything is done”, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said in Washington on Monday night.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed hope on Tuesday that a ceasefire agreement would be reached by the evening.
However, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned on X that a Lebanon ceasefire deal would be a “historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah”.
Ben-Gvir and other hardliners have threatened to bring down the government if it agrees to a truce deal with Hamas in the Gaza Strip or Hezbollah in Lebanon.