An expected ceasefire agreement in Lebanon
Agencies – Washington:
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog said that Israel is days away from reaching a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.
Herzog added, in statements to Israeli Army Radio, “We are close to an agreement. This could happen within days.”
The American website Axios reported earlier yesterday that Israel and Lebanon are on the verge of reaching a ceasefire agreement to end the conflict between the Hebrew state and Hezbollah.
A senior Israeli official told the website that Netanyahu held a meeting regarding ceasefire talks, which included a number of senior ministers and intelligence chiefs, indicating that a decision had been made to move towards the agreement, and that the announcement could come this week.
A second Israeli official who attended the meeting said that “the trend is positive,” but a number of issues remain unresolved, and the deal has not been finalized. Two senior American officials with direct knowledge of the issue said that the two sides are close to reaching an agreement, but it has not been completed.
The draft ceasefire agreement includes a 60-day transitional period during which the Israeli army will withdraw from southern Lebanon, the Lebanese army will deploy in areas near the border, and Hezbollah will transfer its heavy weapons to the north of the Litani River.
