Israel cabinet approves ceasefire with Hezbollah
Netanyahu’s office says Israel’s security cabinet has approved a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
Netanyahu’s office said the plan was approved by a 10-1 vote. The late-night vote came shortly before US President Joe Biden was expected to announce details of the deal in Washington.
Earlier, Netanyahu had defended the ceasefire, saying Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah and could now focus its efforts on Hamas fighters in Gaza and his top security concern, Iran.
Netanyahu promised to strike Hezbollah hard if it violates the expected deal.
Biden hails Lebanon ceasefire as ‘good news’
US President Joe Biden called a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah “good news” after Israel’s cabinet approved the deal.
He said it would take effect at 4am (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday.
Biden also said Israel has “destroyed” Hezbollah’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon, adding the deal is meant to bring about a “permanent cessation of hostilities”.
Over the next 60 days, the Lebanese Army will “take control of their own territory”, he said.
Biden added that Israel retains its right to “self-defence” if the deal is broken.
Ceasefire with Hezbollah approved ‘but there isn’t anything new here'
Netanyahu does have ultimate control over the cabinet, which has voted to endorse this agreement, and did so even before finishing its meeting in order to allow for that much-awaited statement by US President Joe Biden to proceed.
Israel has endorsed the US-brokered ceasefire agreement, and as far as the Israeli media is reporting, the Israeli government says the cessation of hostilities will take effect at 4am local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday.
What has happened is an agreement – at least the one on paper between Lebanon and Israel – that pretty much repeats UN Security Council Resolution 1701 – it involves the US and France for further monitoring, but there isn’t anything new here.
There isn’t anything in this agreement that Lebanon didn’t say it was ready to implement from day one of this war.
Iran’s focus now is de-escalation
Tohid Asadi, an Iranian affairs expert, says Iranians are following the developments on the ceasefire in Lebanon closely but that the top priority for Tehran is “the extent to which this is going to be translated into de-escalation”.
Speaking to Al Jazeera from Tehran, Asadi said: “This is the key objective for Iran – not to see an escalated situation, not to see an all-out war scenario.
“This is the ceasefire that should receive a possible and supportive attitude from the Iranian side. We heard a statement from the special adviser to the supreme leader, Ali Larijani, during his visit to Beirut where he said Iran is going to respect the decision by the Lebanese government on the ceasefire.”
