Israel’s Netanyahu Says He Approves Lebanon Ceasefire Deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he would recommend a proposal for a ceasefire with Hezbollah to his cabinet for approval, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. Earlier, waves of Israeli strikes pounded central and southern Beirut in the most intense raids on the Lebanese capital in two months of full-scale war.

The Israeli PM has begun his statement to the nation by pledging to return all residents of northern Israel to the homes they left when the latest fighting with Hezbollah began.

The Israeli leader said his country would “respond forcefully to any violation” of the ceasefire deal by Hezbollah, claiming Israel would maintain “full” freedom to act in Lebanon.

He also said the ceasefire would allow Israel to “intensify” pressure on Hamas in war-ravaged Gaza and “focus on the threat from Iran”.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon are “in the final stages”, and that a deal could help end the Gaza conflict.

“We’re not there yet, but I believe we are in the final stages,” Blinken told reporters after a meeting near Rome with G7 counterparts, adding that “by de-escalating tensions in the region, it can also help us to end the conflict in Gaza”.