Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah (Image: GETTY)
Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia based in Lebanon, after weeks of negotiations with the US and other Western allies.
The Israeli Prime Minister said in a televised address on Tuesday, after a meeting of his security cabinet, that the agreement could come into effect as early as tomorrow.
In his remarks, Netanyahu said the Defence Forces (IDF) inflicted lasting damage to Hezbollah, claiming the group, which is proscribed as terror organisation by nations including the UK and the US, is “no longer the same”.
“We set them back decades. We have destroyed many missiles and rockets, we have killed many terrorists,” he said.
The proposal, which is led by Washington, would involve Hezbollah moving out of southern Lebanon and the IDF withdrawing from the country.
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Israeli soldiers stand near a tank as it is moving along the border with Lebanon on Tuesday. (Image: Getty)
Netanyahu said any attempts by Hezbollah to rearm would represent a violation of the deal, and vowed would “respond severely” in such an event.
He added that if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the deal, would strike.
The Israeli leader said some have warned that the ceasefire would prevent from returning to Lebanon if it needs to, but he ended by saying “an agreement can be enforced and we will enforce it”.
US President will deliver remarks at 2:30 p.m. ET (7.30pm GMT), according to the White House.
Netanyahu’s announcement came after launched a day of air strikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut, as the Israeli security cabinet discussed the proposed deal.
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Aftermath of Israeli strikes in Beirut. (Image: Getty)
Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones into the day after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terror attack ignited the war in Gaza.
launched retaliatory airstrikes in Lebanon and the conflict steadily escalated, erupting into all-out war in September. Israeli forces invaded Lebanon on October 1, this year.
Hezbollah has fired at 13,000 missiles, drones and rockets in the months since, killing 75 people, as per the newspaper.
has also launched thousands of air strikes and attacks against Hezbollah across Lebanon over the course of the conflict.
In an update on Sunday, the Lebanese health ministry said the offensive had killed more than 3,750 people, left around 15,630 more wounded, with some 1.4 million people displaced from their homes.