JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected Tuesday recommended his Cabinet o.k. a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement pinch Lebanon’s Hezbollah, mounting nan shape for an extremity to astir 14 months of fighting linked to nan ongoing warfare successful nan Gaza Strip.
Israel stepped up its bombardment of Lebanon successful nan hours starring up to nan Cabinet meeting, sidesplitting astatine slightest 23 people, according to section authorities. The subject besides issued a flurry of removal warnings — a motion it intends to support pummeling Hezbollah successful nan last hours earlier immoderate ceasefire takes hold.
In a televised statement, Netanyahu said he would coming nan ceasefire connection to Cabinet ministers later Tuesday, erstwhile they are expected to ballot connected it. He listed a bid of accomplishments against Israel’s enemies crossed nan region successful caller months. He said a ceasefire pinch Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas successful Gaza and would let Israel to move its attraction to Iran — Hezbollah’s backer and Israel’s biggest threat successful nan region. He vowed to onslaught Hezbollah difficult if it violates nan agreement.
“If Hezbollah breaks nan statement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For each violation, we will onslaught pinch might.”
It was not instantly clear erstwhile nan ceasefire would spell into effect, and nan nonstop position of nan woody were not released. The woody does not impact Israel’s warfare against Hamas successful Gaza, which shows nary signs of ending.
Lebanese officials person said Hezbollah besides supports nan deal. If approved by each sides, nan woody would beryllium a awesome measurement toward ending nan Israel-Hezbollah warfare that has inflamed tensions crossed nan region and raised fears of an moreover wider conflict betwixt Israel and Hezbollah’s patron, Iran.
The woody calls for a two-month first halt successful fighting and would require Hezbollah to extremity its equipped beingness successful a wide swath of confederate Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their broadside of nan border. Thousands of Lebanese troopsand U.N. peacekeepers would deploy successful nan south, and an world sheet headed by nan United States would show each sides’ compliance.
But implementation remains a awesome mobility mark. Israel has demanded nan correct to enactment should Hezbollah break its obligations. Lebanese officials person rejected penning that into nan proposal. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted connected Tuesday that nan subject would onslaught Hezbollah if nan U.N. peacekeeping force, known arsenic UNIFIL, doesn’t supply “effective enforcement” of nan deal.
Bombardment of Beirut’s confederate suburbs continues
Even arsenic Israeli, U.S, Lebanese and world officials person expressed increasing optimism complete a ceasefire, Israel has continued its run successful Lebanon, which it says intends to cripple Hezbollah’s subject capabilities.
An Israeli onslaught connected Tuesday leveled a residential building successful nan cardinal Beirut territory of Basta — nan 2nd clip successful caller days warplanes person deed nan crowded area adjacent nan city’s downtown. At slightest 7 group were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Three group were killed successful a abstracted onslaught successful Beirut and 3 successful a onslaught connected a Palestinian exile campy successful confederate Lebanon. Lebanese authorities media said different 10 group were killed successful nan eastbound Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure.
The removal warnings covered galore areas, including parts of Beirut that antecedently person not been targeted. The warnings, coupled pinch fearfulness that Israel was ratcheting up attacks earlier a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and immoderate cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, immoderate wearing their pajamas, gathered successful a cardinal square, huddling nether blankets aliases opinionated astir fires arsenic Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering aerial ambush sirens crossed bluish Israel.
Israeli subject spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued removal warnings for 20 buildings successful Beirut’s confederate suburbs, wherever Hezbollah has a awesome presence, arsenic good arsenic a informing for nan confederate municipality of Naqoura wherever UNIFIL is headquartered.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Associated Press that peacekeepers will not evacuate.
Other strikes deed successful nan confederate metropolis of Tyre, wherever nan Israeli subject said it killed a section Hezbollah commander.
The Israeli subject besides said its crushed troops fought pinch Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers successful nan Slouqi area connected nan eastbound extremity of nan Litani River, a fewer kilometers (miles) from nan Israeli border.
Previous ceasefire hopes were dashed
Under nan ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would beryllium required to move its forces northbound of nan Litani, which successful immoderate places is astir 30 kilometers (20 miles) northbound of nan border.
A ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hezbollah, nan strongest Iranian-backed unit successful nan region, would apt importantly calm location tensions that person led to fears of a direct, all-out warfare betwixt Israel and Iran. It’s not clear really nan ceasefire will impact nan Israel-Hamas warfare successful Gaza. Hezbollah had agelong insisted that it would not work together to a ceasefire until nan warfare successful Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition.
Hezbollah began firing into bluish Israel, saying it was showing support for nan Palestinians, a time aft Hamas carried retired its Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught connected confederate Israel, triggering nan Gaza war. Israel returned occurrence connected Hezbollah, and nan 2 sides person been exchanging barrages ever since.
Israel escalated its run of bombardment successful mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an extremity to Hezbollah occurrence truthful tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes.
More than 3,760 group person been killed by Israeli occurrence successful Lebanon nan past 13 months, galore of them civilians, according to Lebanese wellness officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 cardinal group from their homes. Israel says it has killed much than 2,000 Hezbollah members.
Hezbollah occurrence has forced immoderate 50,000 Israelis to evacuate successful nan country’s north, and its rockets person reached arsenic acold southbound successful Israel arsenic Tel Aviv. At slightest 75 group person been killed, much than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers person died successful nan crushed violative successful Lebanon.
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After erstwhile hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted location could beryllium last-minute hitches that hold aliases destruct an agreement.
“Nothing is done until everything is done,” White House nationalist information spokesperson John Kirby said.
While nan ceasefire connection is expected to beryllium approved if Netanyahu brings it to a ballot successful his information Cabinet, 1 hard-line member, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, said he would reason it. He said connected X that a woody pinch Lebanon would beryllium a “big mistake” and a “missed historical opportunity to eliminate Hezbollah.”
___
Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud successful Beirut contributed.