Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved a ceasefire deal in Lebanon after a meeting of his “security cabinet” to discuss a proposal by the United States and France.
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The cabinet approved the ceasefire following two months of intensified attacks on Lebanon, Israeli Channel 12 reported.
The United States and France are expected to announce the ceasefire deal in a joint statement.
Lebanon's parliament will meet on Wednesday morning to discuss the agreement.
Speaking in a televised address on Tuesday, Netanyahu said the length of the ceasefire depended on Hezbollah. “We will maintain full freedom of movement… if Hezbollah moves rockets into position we will attack.”
Netanyahu, however, said he would bring the full cabinet an outline of the ceasefire deal with Hezbollah for final approval.
He said the ceasefire agreement means that Israel can now focus on the “Iranian threat”, adding, “We are changing the face of the region.”
Netanyahu said the ceasefire will also allow the Israeli military to take a rest and to focus on the Gaza Strip and "intensify" pressure on Hamas.
Despite the announcement, hostilities raged as Israel dramatically ramped up its airstrikes in capital Beirut and other parts of Lebanon.
Hezbollah has previously said that a total end to Israeli aggression and protection of Lebanon’s sovereignty were its conditions for accepting any ceasefire deal.
The ceasefire agreement requires Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon and Lebanon’s army to deploy in the region, officials said.
Lebanon's Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said the Lebanese army was prepared to deploy at least 5,000 troops in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops withdraw.
The Israeli regime initiated its full-scale war on Lebanon in late September when Netanyahu announced updated war objectives, emphasizing a determination to return hundreds of thousands of settlers to their homes in northern occupied Palestine.
