Netanyahu Nears Decision on Cease-Fire With Hezbollah, Officials Say
Source: New York Times (gift article/no paywall)
By Ronen Bergman, Patrick Kingsley and Jack Nicas
Nov. 25, 2024
Updated 11:23 a.m. ET
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has signaled he is open to a cease-fire in the yearlong conflict with Hezbollah, but is seeking clearer assurances on how Israel could restart the fighting if Hezbollah breaks the truce, according to two Israeli officials briefed on his thinking.
U.S. officials have been putting pressure on Israel to finalize a deal before Thanksgiving, according to those Israeli officials and two others, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the private negotiations. The two sides have made progress toward a cease-fire over the past week, and Mr. Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with his cabinet this week to decide on a proposal, the officials said.
The latest proposal is seen as the best chance to end fighting that has killed thousands in Lebanon and dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers, while displacing 60,000 people in Israel and about one million in Lebanon. But negotiations have been starting and stopping for weeks, and the two sides may not come to terms. Mr. Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on his intentions.
Under the proposal, Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon within 60 days, while Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia, would move north, farther from the Israeli border, according to the officials. The Lebanese Army would deploy to southern Lebanon to ensure that Hezbollah stays north of the Litani River, the officials said, in effect creating a buffer zone along the Israeli border.
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