The Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, would have accepted “in principle” the proposal of ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, raised by the EEEU, after holding high-level consultations this morning with officials of its government, according to leaks in major Hebrew media.
Although the Israeli government accepted “in principle” the American project, the proposal is not yet final and several problems must be resolved, according to Israeli and American officials cited by Kan public television and newspapers Haaretz And Ynet. The latter publishes that the response has already been transferred to Lebanon.
The proposal includes three steps: a truce followed by withdrawal of Hezbollah forces north of the Litani River; A complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and, finally, the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on the demarcation of its border, which currently constitutes a dividing line established by the UN after the 2006 war.
An international body led by the United States will oversee compliance with the ceasefire, according to the proposal, although Israel hopes to receive a letter from Washington confirming its right to act militarily if Hezbollah fails to respect the terms of the ceasefire. agreement and if the forces of international organizations or those of Lebanon do not act.
The Lebanese army will be responsible for taking control of the border area and preventing the return of Hezbollah.
According to Hebrew media, Netanyahu and his close circle of aides are studying how to promote the agreement to the Israeli public with the message that it is not a compromise but something beneficial for Israel. However, a recent Channel 12 poll found that 64 percent of Israelis favor a truce in Lebanon.
The Joe Biden administration’s mediator between Israel and Lebanon, Amos Hochstein, He was visiting Israel this weekend, having previously visited Beirut, to promote the ceasefire.
The American envoy, who He has already managed to reach an agreement in 2022 between Israel – with the previous government of Yair Lapid – and Lebanon. for the demarcation of its maritime border and the distribution of the exploitation of gas fields, warned the Israeli side that this was the last opportunity for an agreement promoted by the United States.
Dan Shapiro will close out the details
If they do not accept, they will have to wait for the efforts of the next administration of the Donald Trump, according to Hebrew media. Channel 12 also reported that former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro He will travel to the country today to finalize the final details.
Along with the final push for a deal, Hezbollah yesterday intensified its attacks on Israel by firing on more than 250 projectilesincluding missiles and drones, not only towards the north but also towards the center of the country, where sirens sounded repeatedly throughout the day and several people were injured.
The same media reports indicate that Hezbollah’s response was expected by Israel as they move closer to finalizing a pact, in order to demonstrate that they still have the capacity to attack.
This weekend, Israel also intensified its frequent attacks on Dahye, the southern suburb of the capital controlled by Hezbollah; but also launched a powerful bunker buster bomb against a building in the city center, killing at least eleven people.
Israel also wants to take advantage of this to damage Hezbollah’s capabilities as much as possible before a deal.
