Lebanon, Israel could agree to ceasefire within days, two sides say

Israel's state-owned Kan TV News on Wednesday revealed the existence of a document said to be a draft agreement between Israel and Lebanon, proposed by the United States, to end the current Israeli-Hezbollah clashes.

Quoting senior Israeli officials, the channel said the war cabinet is satisfied with the draft that was formulated by U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein and submitted to Israel, and its chances of being accepted are high.

According to the draft, Israel will have to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon within seven days after signing the agreement, which will be overseen by the United States and another country.

Within 60 days, Lebanon will have to disarm any unofficial military group in southern Lebanon and monitor the sales and production of weapons on its territory so that they do not reach Hezbollah or other armed groups, the draft read.

The Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) will be the only armed forces in southern Lebanon, it read.

The United States, together with other international bodies and countries to be agreed upon, will oversee the implementation of the agreement, with the possibility of imposing economic and diplomatic sanctions to ensure its implementation.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed hope of a ceasefire with Israel in the coming days.

Mikati said he had not believed a deal would be possible until after Tuesday's U.S. presidential election. But he said he became more optimistic after speaking on Wednesday with Hochstein, who was due to travel to Israel on Thursday.

"Our goal is to protect Lebanon and stop the Israeli aggression. I contacted the UN envoy Amos Hochstein, who is on his way to the region," said Mikati in a televised interview with al-Jadeed local TV channel.

France condemns recent Israeli strikes

France on Wednesday strongly condemned the Israeli strike on a building in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza on October 29, which killed around 100 people, including women and children.

"France also condemns the recent Israeli strikes on hospitals in the north of the enclave, which are under evacuation orders and sheltering patients in critical condition," the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said in a press release.

Stressing that the siege imposed on northern Gaza must be lifted without delay, the ministry called for the reopening of all crossing points and for the safe, massive and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.

On Tuesday, France expressed deep regret over the Israeli parliament's adoption of two laws that would ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in Israel.

France also reaffirmed its support for UNRWA and all UN agencies working on the ground to help the Palestinian population.

Israel strikes historic city

Israel's operation against heavily armed Hezbollah in Lebanon continued to expand on Wednesday as the Israeli army launched heavy air strikes on the eastern city of Baalbek, famed for its Roman temples, and nearby villages, security sources told Reuters.

Tens of thousands of Lebanese, including many who sought shelter in Baalbek from other areas, fled after an Israeli evacuation warning.

Bilal Raad, regional head of the Lebanese civil defense, said the scene was chaotic. "The whole city is in a panic trying to figure out where to go, there's a huge traffic jam," he said ahead of the bombardment.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said 19 people were killed in Israeli strikes on two towns in the Baalbek area on Wednesday.

It said 2,822 people have been killed in Israel's military campaign in Lebanon since October 2023. More than 1.2 million people have been displaced.

Following the air strikes, the Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah fuel reservoirs in the Bekaa Valley region.

(With input from agencies)