President Biden And Macron Reportedly To Announce Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire

The Israeli military in southern Lebanon. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to announce a ceasefire in Lebanon between the armed group Hezbollah and Israel in the near future, four senior Lebanese sources said on Monday.

In Washington, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said, "We are close to reaching an agreement" but "Nothing will be done until everything is done," Reuters reported November 26.

Meanwhile, the French presidency said discussions about the ceasefire had made significant progress.

In Jerusalem, a senior Israeli official said the Israeli cabinet would meet on Tuesday to agree to a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah

Signs of a diplomatic breakthrough accompanied by a massive Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Hezbollah-controlled Beirut, as Israel continued to launch its September-run attack after nearly a year of cross-border hostilities.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined to comment on reports Israel and Lebanon had approved the text of the agreement. However, senior Israeli officials told Reuters Tuesday's cabinet meeting was intended to approve the text.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said Israel would maintain the ability to attack southern Lebanon under any agreement. Lebanon previously rejected words that would grant Israel the right.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the gap between the two sides had narrowed significantly but there were still steps they needed to take to reach an agreement.

"Often the last stages of an agreement are the most difficult because of the most difficult problems left until the end," he said.

"We are trying our best," he said.

In Beirut, Elias Bou Saab, deputy chairman of Lebanese parliament, told Reuters there were "no serious obstacles left" to start implementing the US-proposed ceasefire with Israel, "unless Netanyahu changes his mind".

He said the proposal would require Israeli military withdrawals from southern Lebanon and Lebanese regular troops deployed in the border area, which has long been the base of Hezbollah, within 60 days.

A critical point regarding who will monitor compliance with the ceasefire has been completed in the past 24 hours with an agreement to form a five-state committee, including France and chaired by the United States, he said.

The Biden administration, which will end its post in January, has stressed diplomacy to end the Lebanese conflict, even as all negotiations to stop a parallel war in Gaza are frozen.

US envoy to Middle East Brett McGurk will be in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss the use of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon as a catalyst for the deal that ended hostilities in Gaza, the White House said.

It is known that the conflict in Lebanon has increased dramatically over the past two months after more than a year of Israel and Hezbollah crossed-border attacks, a day after the Hamas-Israeli conflict broke out in Gaza on October 8, 2023. Diplomacy is aimed at ending this conflict.

Diplomacy of the Lebanese conflict focused on restoring the ceasefire based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the last major war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006.

The resolution requires Hezbollah to pull back its fighters about 30 km (20 miles) from the Israeli border, behind the Litani River, and regular Lebanese soldiers to enter border areas.

Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of failing to implement it in the past; Israel says a new ceasefire should allow it to attack the remaining Hezbollah fighters or weapons in the south of the river.