Israel 'considering ceasefire' in Lebanon

An unnamed senior Israeli official stated that the security cabinet convened to discuss a potential one-week ceasefire in Lebanon.

"Our assessment is that in the coming days, we will have no other option but a ceasefire in Lebanon", Israel's Channel 12 reported on 15/4, quoting a senior political source from the country. This statement came as the security cabinet, led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, convened that evening to discuss a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon. The security cabinet is a small group of key ministers in the Israeli government, holding supreme authority in deciding foreign and defense policy.

Smoke rises in Beirut, Lebanon after Israeli strikes on 8/4. *AP*

Channel 12 also reported that the US is pressuring Israel to agree to a one-week ceasefire in the conflict against the armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon. This step is hoped to advance US-backed negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, as well as Washington's efforts to reach an agreement ending the broader conflict with Iran. An Israeli security source revealed to Channel 12 that while the US seeks de-escalation, it also understands Israel's concerns. Therefore, the one-week ceasefire proposal is a test, allowing Israel to restart operations if a more substantial agreement is not reached afterward.

Prime Minister Netanyahu initially opposed this proposal, but Israeli leadership now understands that Washington is determined to push this plan forward. For its part, the US denied pressuring Israel for a ceasefire. "This is not something we are asking for, nor is it part of peace talks with Iran. However, the President would welcome an end to the conflict in Lebanon as part of a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon", a senior US official said on 15/4.

However, while the security cabinet was meeting, Netanyahu released a video stating that the Israeli military continues to attack Hezbollah and is close to "gaining control" of the town of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon. Channel 12 later reported that the cabinet meeting concluded without any decision being made.

The meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors in Washington, US on 14/4. *AP*

A day earlier, on 14/4, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and his Lebanese counterpart Nada Hamadeh Moawad met in Washington, chaired by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other diplomats. The discussion, lasting about two hours, marked the first direct negotiations between the two neighbors in decades.

Israel's offensive campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon began on 2/3 after the armed group Hezbollah fired into Israel in support of Iran, reigniting hostilities 15 months after the last major conflict between the two sides. Lebanese officials stated that over 2,000 people have been killed and 1,2 million people displaced due to the renewed fighting.