A ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, backed by the United States, was approved "in principle" by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a security meeting with Israeli officials Sunday night, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
Israel still has reservations about some details of the deal, which was expected to be conveyed to the Lebanese government on Monday, the same source said. At the same time, the Israeli prime minister is reportedly working with his advisers on how to publicly present the deal, which will also have to be approved by the Israeli cabinet, which has yet to happen.
Sources with knowledge of the negotiations stressed that the talks appear to be progressing positively, but also acknowledged that as Israel and Hezbollah continue to exchange fire, one wrong step could turn everything upside down and lead to nothing.
In recent days, Hezbollah has been considering a U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, which officials said could form the basis of a permanent cease-fire.
Hezbollah's new leader, Naim Qassem, said last week that the Lebanese organization had considered the proposal and submitted its response, putting the ball in Israel's court.
It is recalled that Israel launched a large-scale attack on Lebanon in mid-September, after months of border clashes with Hezbollah, which began on October 8 last year, with the Lebanese organization showing its solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinians in Gaza.
Since then, Israel has launched a ground invasion, neutralized a number of Hezbollah leaders – including one of its founders, Hassan Nasrallah – and injured thousands in a massive IED attack.
Source: protothema.gr
