Israeli security cabinet approves Lebanon ceasefire deal, after 11th-hour strikes on central Beirut
CNNCNN — A ceasefire between Israeli forces and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah took effect Wednesday morning local time, according to a timeline laid out by US President Joe Biden, after Israel and Lebanon agreed a deal to end the more than year-long conflict. In a pre-recorded televised address Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah was “no longer the same” after Israel’s offensive, and gave three reasons why he is now pursuing a ceasefire. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday called the deal a “historic mistake” that failed to achieve the war’s main goal of returning displaced Israelis to their homes in the north. Mayors of Israel’s northernmost communities were outraged by reports that Netanyahu’s government was set to approve the deal, with one calling it a “surrender agreement” and a “disgrace on a historic scale.” Avihay Shtern, the mayor the Kiryat Shmona – where Hezbollah fire has forced residents out of their homes – urged Israeli leaders to “stop and think about the children of Kiryat Shmona” before approving the deal.