Israel storms Beirut as security cabinet to discuss ceasefire

Israel’s security cabinet was scheduled to discuss a proposed ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon when a hail of airstrikes surrounded southern Beirut in what state media called a “belt of fire.”

The United States, the European Union, the United Nations and the G7, among others, have urged an end to the long-standing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale war at the end of September.

But as pressure for a ceasefire has increased, so have airstrikes and ground fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

Waves of attacks pounded Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut on Tuesday after a wave of Israeli evacuation warnings, AFPTV footage showed, in the heaviest attacks since Israel’s air campaign escalated.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said “a belt of fire has surrounded the city’s southern outskirts” while raids targeted Burj al-Barajneh, Haret Hreik and Hadath.

The NNA reported that another attack in Beirut’s central “Nweiri area destroyed a four-story building housing displaced people.” Three people were killed and 26 injured, the Ministry of Health said.

Rola Jaafar, who lives in the building opposite, said: “We were blown away and the walls fell on us.”

The Israeli military said it attacked 20 Hezbollah “terror targets” in the Beirut area, including command centers, “weapons storage facilities” and “components of Hezbollah’s financial system.”

It also said it had struck 30 targets in southern Lebanon since morning, and that troops had “engaged in close combat with terrorists” and destroyed hidden weapons caches in ground attacks in the Litani River region.

On the diplomatic front, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said the security cabinet would meet later Tuesday to discuss a ceasefire deal, although she declined “to go into details due to the sensitivity of the issue.”

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, previously said the cabinet would make a decision Tuesday evening.

The United States and France have led efforts to reach a ceasefire, and U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said talks had reached a “point where we are close” on Monday.

G7 foreign ministers on Tuesday called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Lebanon, saying in a statement: “Now is the time to reach a diplomatic settlement.”

Britain also called for a ceasefire, saying it was “the only way to restore security” to civilians in Lebanon and northern Israel, while Germany said an agreement was “within reach”.

US news outlet Axios reported that the draft agreement included a 60-day transition period.

During that time, Israeli forces would withdraw, the Lebanese army would regroup near the border and Hezbollah would move its heavy weapons north of the Litani River, Axios said.

A US-led commission would oversee implementation, with provisions allowing Israel to act against looming threats if the Lebanese forces do not intervene.

Defense Minister Israel Katz told the UN envoy to Lebanon on Tuesday that Israel would apply “zero tolerance” in defending its security interests even after a ceasefire.

“If you do nothing, we will do it by force,” Katz told Janine Hennis-Plasschaert at a meeting in Tel Aviv, according to a statement from his office.

– Making a ‘mistake’ –

Israeli media have reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to support the US ceasefire proposal.

The war in Lebanon followed almost a year of limited cross-border firefights initiated by Hezbollah.

The Lebanese group said it acted in support of Hamas after the Palestinian group’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza.

Lebanon says at least 3,799 people have been killed since October 2023, most of them in recent weeks.

On the Israeli side, hostilities in Lebanon have killed at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians, authorities say.

The initial exchanges have driven tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes, and Israeli officials have said they are fighting so they can return safely.

Some northern residents wondered whether that would be possible under a ceasefire.

“In my opinion, it would be a serious mistake to sign an agreement as long as Hezbollah is not completely eliminated,” said Maryam Younnes, 29, a student from Maalot-Tarshiha.

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir warned on X that a ceasefire in Lebanon would be a “historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.”

But EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Israel has “no more excuses” to refuse a deal.

– ‘Scraping between the rubble’ –

Continued efforts this year by mediators to broker a ceasefire and an agreement for the release of hostages in the Gaza war have failed.

Qatar said early this month it was suspending its mediation role until the warring sides showed “seriousness.”

In Gaza, the civil protection agency said on Tuesday that 11 people were killed in overnight Israeli attacks on Palestinian territory.

With the violence showing no signs of ending, Gazans continued to “pick through the rubble” for food, said Louise Wateridge, spokeswoman for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 last year resulted in the deaths of 1,207 people, most of whom were civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

That toll includes a soldier who was wounded in the Hamas attack and who died from his injuries on Tuesday more than a year later, the military said.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 44,249 people in Gaza, according to figures from the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which the United Nations considers reliable.

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