A ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is reportedly “very close,” according to a regional source speaking to CNN on Sunday. This update comes as the death toll in Lebanon since mid-September continues to rise, exceeding 3,000 due to ongoing Israeli attacks.
The source indicated that while the ceasefire is approaching, it has not yet been finalized, and U.S. and Israeli officials have cautioned that mediators have not yet received a green light. A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “We are moving in this direction, but there are still some issues to address.”
In recent days, Hezbollah has been weighing a U.S.-Israeli proposal for a 60-day pause in hostilities, which some hope could pave the way for a lasting ceasefire. The escalation in conflict began in mid-September following a series of border skirmishes initiated by Hezbollah in solidarity with Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza. Israel subsequently launched a ground invasion, targeting Hezbollah leaders and resulting in significant casualties.
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has been engaged in discussions with regional officials to negotiate a possible deal. Reports indicate that Hochstein warned the Israeli ambassador to Washington that failure to respond positively to the ceasefire proposal could lead him to withdraw from the mediation efforts.
On Saturday, the Lebanese health ministry reported that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 84 people and injured 213, including nearly 30 individuals in a strike on a multi-story building in central Beirut. In total, 3,072 people have been killed, and 13,426 have been injured since Israel intensified its military actions against Hezbollah on September 16.
Credit: CNN
