The Israeli cabinet will meet to discuss a ceasefire deal with Lebanon at the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Times of Israel reported citing a minister's office.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

The meeting is scheduled to take place between 5:30 pm to 9 pm (local time).


This comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his "in principle" approval to the plan, CNN reported citing sources.


Netanyahu signalled his potential approval for the emerging ceasefire with Hezbollah during a security consultation with Israeli officials Sunday night.


Netanyahu's spokesperson said the Israeli cabinet will vote on the proposed deal on Tuesday and it is expected to pass.


The report, however, stated that Israel still has reservations over some details of the agreement, which were expected to be transmitted to the Lebanese government on Monday, adding that "those and other details are still being negotiated and multiple sources stressed that the agreement will not be final until all issues are resolved."


CNN reported citing sources familiar with the negotiations that the talks appear to be moving positively toward an agreement but acknowledged that as Israel and Hezbollah continue to trade fire, one misstep could upend the talks.


Israel's National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, has expressed strong opposition to the deal, calling it a "big mistake" and a "historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah". Ben Gvir has also long worked to thwart potential ceasefire deals between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.


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 the details of the ceasefire deal public.


"It is the right of the residents of the north, the fighters and the citizens of Israel to know," Gantz said.


Last week, United States envoy Amos Hochstein said in Beirut that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon was "within our grasp," but that it was ultimately "the decision of the parties."


Notably, Israel and Lebanon have been engaged in a prolonged conflict that began on October 8 last year, when Hezbollah attacked Israeli-controlled territory in solidarity with Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by CNN.


This incident sparked a series of tit-for-tat border attacks, which eventually escalated into a major military offensive launched by Israel in mid-September.


The conflict has seen a ground invasion by Israel, resulting in the deaths of several Hezbollah leaders, including one of its founders, Hassan Nasrallah, and thousands of injuries from an attack involving exploding pagers. The situation remains volatile, with ongoing efforts to negotiate a ceasefire.