Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Israel’s security cabinet convened on April 15 to discuss a possible Lebanon ceasefire, a senior Israeli official said, more than six weeks into a war with Hezbollah that spiralled out of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. US President Donald Trump earlier said the war with Iran could end soon, telling the world to watch out for an “amazing two days”.
While the security cabinet was meeting, however, Netanyahu released a video statement in which he said the Israeli military continued to strike at Hezbollah and was about to “overcome” the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil.
Hezbollah fighters are holed up inside Bint Jbeil, a stronghold of the group and a gateway to surrounding villages. The war has killed more than 2,000 people in Lebanon and forced 1.2 million from their homes, Lebanese authorities say. The Israeli military has sent troops into the south, where it has vowed to establish a buffer zone and maintain control over territory all the way to the Litani River, which meets the Mediterranean about 30 km (20 miles) north of Israel’s border.
Two senior Lebanese officials told Reuters they had been briefed that efforts were under way for a ceasefire. One of them said the US had been pressuring Israel to work towards a ceasefire in Lebanon, including during the talks between the Israeli and Lebanese government envoys in Washington.
