Israeli cabinet to vote on Hezbollah ceasefire deal today

The Israeli cabinet will vote on a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson told CNN, adding that it was expected to pass, Report informs via CNN World.

The US-backed proposal aims to achieve a 60-day cessation of hostilities that some hope could form the basis of a lasting ceasefire. The spokesperson would not elaborate on details of the potential agreement.

A source said Netanyahu had approved the plan “in principle.” The leader signaled his potential approval for the emerging ceasefire with Hezbollah during a security consultation with Israeli officials Sunday night, the source said.

But US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Monday that while significant progress had been made in negotiations, “nothing is final until everything is final.”

He said the process had been “incredibly frustrating.”

On Monday evening, a Lebanese official familiar with the discussions said a ceasefire was expected to be announced “within 24 hours.”

Reports that a deal was nearing were met with a mixed response in Israel. Itamar Ben Gvir, the national security minister, called the deal “a historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.”

Residents of northern Israel – many of whom have been displaced by the conflict, along with residents of southern Lebanon across the border – have also expressed concern about the potential deal.

Nizan Zeevi, who lives north of Kyriat Shimona in Kfar Kila village, told CNN many residents view the deal as a “surrender agreement.”

He said he feared the deal would allow fighters in the Radwan Force, Hezbollah’s special operation unit, to move closer to the border once more and “live right next to” him and his family.