Israel to decide Tuesday evening on Lebanon ceasefire amid fierce fighting

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon is expected to be reached, with the Israeli cabinet set to meet on Tuesday night to discuss it, though Israel is continuing its military operations in Lebanon and Gaza.

An Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity that Israel's security cabinet "will decide on Tuesday evening on the ceasefire deal."

The United States, European Union and United Nations have all been pushing in recent days for parties to accept a truce in the conflict.

The negotiation over a deal on a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon "is going in a very positive direction," John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council said on Monday, stopping short of providing details.

Lebanon's Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab said on Monday that a ceasefire deal with Israel was close after a meeting of the Parliament Bureau.

"We are approaching the ceasefire moment. This week or in the next 10 days, there will be a decisive position," Bou Saab said, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA).

Along with the international ceasefire efforts, Israeli strikes pummeled south Beirut on Monday, Lebanese official media said, and health authorities reported at least 36 people killed across the country, most of them in the south.

Israel's military said in a statement Monday afternoon it had hit "approximately 25 terror targets" belonging to Hezbollah across Lebanon, including in Nabatiyeh, Baalbek, the Bekaa Valley and southern Beirut and the city's outskirts.

The NNA reported a fourth wave of Israeli raids in south Beirut on Monday evening, saying "enemy warplanes launched strikes on (the) Haret Hreik and Shiyah" districts.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon's south, meanwhile, said on Monday it was "seriously concerned" by recent deadly strikes on Lebanese soldiers, which Beirut has blamed on Israel.

Meanwhile in Gaza, besides the Israeli bombings, displaced Gazans are also suffering from flooding. UN humanitarians said on Monday they and their partners have been evaluating flood damage in response to multiple sites for displaced Gazans hit by heavy weekend rainfall.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it had received reports that the flooding damaged people's tents and other belongings.

"Our humanitarian partners have been carrying out field visits in multiple areas to assess the impact of the latest rains and to mobilize response efforts," OCHA said. "Our partners estimate that about 1.6 million people live in makeshift shelters across Gaza."

The office said that in recent months, preparations ahead of the rainy season were severely restricted by the challenges aid agencies face in bringing sufficient supplies into Gaza.

The agencies recently complained that Israeli authorities impeded, delayed or even denied aid shipments into Gaza. Also, gangs last week looted a more than 100-truck aid convoy, hijacking 97 of the vehicles. A UN spokesman said they remain missing.

"Our partners have assessed about 100 flood-prone areas, which are hosting more than 450,000 men, women and children in Khan Younis, Deir al Balah and in the Rafah area," OCHA said. "At nearly all of these sites, local groups are supporting with preparations for potential rains and floods."

The office said sandbags were put in place at 20 sites. However, at 90 percent of the areas assessed by aid partners, there were no workable plans if flooding made the sites uninhabitable.

(With input from agencies)