There are growing signs that a truce between Israel and Hezbollah – which the US has been pushing hard for – could be imminent. The Israeli cabinet is reportedly set to vote on a cease-fire deal Tuesday, and a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled it’s likely to be accepted.
The deal would involve a 60-day halt to fighting to pave the way for a lasting truce, during which Israeli troops would withdraw from southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah would move heavy weapons north of the Litani River, roughly 18 miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border. The area would then be policed by Lebanese soldiers and UN peacekeepers, with a five-country committee — including the US — set to keep an eye on compliance with the terms of the truce.
We’ll be watching for more on the deal — and whether it gets across the finish line as both sides in the fight continue to trade fire. And regardless of whether an agreement is reached, the war in Gaza is raging on with no end in sight. The Gaza conflict fueled the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which began after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state last year, and has stoked tensions across the region.