Netanyahu urges his cabinet to approve a ceasefire with Hezbollah

A first responder looks for survivors at the scene of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in a southern suburb of Beirut on Tuesday. -/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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-/AFP via Getty Images

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging Israel's security Cabinet to approve a ceasefire with Hezbollah, paving the way for a possible pause in over a year of fighting with the Iran-backed group.
 
In a TV address Tuesday, Netanyahu laid out his reasons for supporting a ceasefire, including saying that Israel has had success in dismantling Hezbollah's fighting capabilities and killing senior officials.

"Tonight, I will present to the Cabinet a plan for a ceasefire in Lebanon. The duration of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon," Netanyahu said.

"In full coordination with the United States, we are maintaining full military freedom of action," he continued. "If Hezbollah violates the agreement or attempts to rearm, we will strike."

Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim militant and political force in Lebanon backed by Iran and listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Israel and several other countries. Hezbollah started launching rockets into Israel a day after the Palestinian militant group Hamas led an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel has launched extensive airstrikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon, including one in September that killed Hezbollah's longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel also sent ground troops into southern Lebanon.

On Tuesday, Israel launched airstrikes on Lebanon as the two sides neared a ceasefire and Hezbollah fired multiple rockets into northern Israel.

This is a developing story that will be updated.