Israel ‘backs Hezbollah ceasefire’ in principle

The US-backed ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel reportedly includes the terror group’s withdrawal to the north of the Litani River.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R), Defence Minister Israel Katz (R) and army Chief-of-Staff Herzi Halevi (2nd L) during a briefing. Picture: AFP.

Israel has reportedly agreed in principle a US-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah, which includes the terror group’s withdrawal to the north of the Litani River.

Multiple Israeli media outlets are reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to present the truce as being “beneficial” to the Israeli people.

The Haretz newspaper reports that the ceasefire will take place in three stages: the withdrawal of Hezbollah to the north, the removal of the Israeli Defence Forces from southern Lebanon, and negotiations over contested border lines.

The newspaper also reports that an international force led by the US will monitor the ceasefire, in particular to ensure Hezbollah doesn’t return to the region south of the Litani, or strengthen its forces in the north.

Negotiations over the conflict had stalled over Hezbollah’s insistence that any truce be tied to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. However Haaretz reports that demand is no longer on the table, while Ynet television reports US envoy Amos Hochstein had warned both sides he would end his mediation efforts if they did not soon agree to the deal on the table.

Meanwhile, Israel once more bombarded Beirut’s southern suburbs, after the IDF posted evacuation calls online for parts of the Hezbollah stronghold.

AFPTV footage showed smoke billowing above the area on Sunday evening, following earlier raids in the afternoon.

AFP journalists in the city and its outskirts heard loud explosions, with car alarms going off throughout one Beirut street.

“A series of violent strikes are targeting Haret Hreik, Bir al-Abed and Ghobeiri in the southern suburbs of Beirut,” the official National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Earlier in the day, it had reported two Israeli strikes on south Beirut, about an hour after the Israeli military issued warnings online.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in Sunday’s strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, which have been largely emptied of their residents during the fighting.

The area has been repeatedly struck since September 23, when Israel intensified its air campaign also targeting Hezbollah bastions in Lebanon’s east and south.

It later sent in ground troops to southern Lebanon.

The afternoon raids on Sunday “caused massive destruction over a large geographical area” of the Kafaat district, the NNA said.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee had earlier warned on social media platform X that the military would strike “Hezbollah facilities and interests” in the Hadath and Burj al-Barajneh districts, also sharing maps of the areas to be evacuated.

In the evening, he repeated the calls to evacuate the two districts, also listing additional neighbourhoods in the area.

A military statement said Israeli “fighter jets … attacked Hezbollah military headquarters” in south Beirut.

With AFP