ANI
Ambassador Mike Herzog told Israeli Army Radio that points remain to be finalized and any deal requires government consent.
The Israeli ambassador to Washington says a ceasefire agreement to end fighting between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah could be reached within days. Ambassador Mike Herzog told Israeli Army Radio that points remain to be finalized and any deal requires government consent. He said that we are close to an agreement and it could happen in a few days. Among the issues that remain is Israel’s demand to reserve the right to take action if Hezbollah violates its obligations under the emerging agreement. The purpose of this agreement is to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon.
Israel has accused Hezbollah of not abiding by the United Nations resolution that ended the 2006 war between the sides that made similar provisions, and Israel is concerned that if Hezbollah maintains a heavy presence there it could could launch a Hamas-style cross-border attack from southern Lebanon. Lebanon says Israel has also violated the 2006 resolution. Lebanon complains of military jets and naval vessels entering Lebanese territory even when there is no active conflict.
Optimism about a deal comes after a top US envoy led talks between the two sides to achieve a deal last week. A day after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, Hezbollah began attacking Israel on October 8, 2023, starting more than a year of fighting. This escalated into an all-out war with massive Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon in September and subsequent Israeli ground incursions into the south of the country.
