A top Lebanese official has revealed that Hezbollah has accepted a US proposal for a ceasefire with Israel.
The ceasefire proposal was sent to the Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri last week by US ambassador Lisa Johnson. Berri who is an ally of Hezbollah mediated talks with the US.
Berri's aide Ali Hassan Khalil said both the Lebanese government and the Iran-backed militant group have accepted the truce proposal. However, they have presented a few comments on the proposal.
Khalil said Lebanon submitted its comments in a positive atmosphere and in accordance with the UN Resolution 1701.
Will Israel agree to the ceasefire?
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to continue to "systematically operate" against Hezbollah even if a truce is reached. This comes as US envoy Amos Hochstein travels to Beirut for further talks.
Netanyahu said Israel will be forced to ensure security in its northern frontier and to keep the Hezbollah from rebuilding. He added that there was no evidence that Hezbollah would respect any ceasefire deal.
It should be noted that the same resolution led to the end of the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The resolution requires non-state Lebanese armed group to vacate the region south of Litani River. However, Hezbollah did not withdraw from the southern region.
The proposal aims to achieve a ceasefire for 60 days. It also stipulates that the Israeli ground troops withdraw from the Lebanese territories.