Israeli officials said that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer presented the draft agreement to Trump during a meeting last week. Trump expressed hope that the deal could be implemented before he takes office on January 20, 2025.
The U.S. presented the ceasefire outline to the Lebanese government on Thursday, with officials in both Washington and Jerusalem now awaiting Lebanon's response. Israeli sources indicated that Lebanon’s reply could come within days. U.S. President Joe Biden's special envoy, Amos Hochstein, had warned Lebanese officials that he would not visit Beirut unless he was confident that the government was prepared to finalize the agreement. Hochstein handed the draft to Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, who is negotiating on behalf of Hezbollah.
Reports from Lebanon indicated that Berri was optimistic about the possibility of a ceasefire within days or a week, although that statement was quickly removed from public circulation. Hezbollah-affiliated 'Al Akhbar' reported that Berri and Mikati had rejected Israeli demands allowing Israel to operate freely in Lebanon if Hezbollah were to return to the south or rebuild its military capabilities.
Lebanon's counter-demands included an immediate ceasefire, the return of residents to southern villages, the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, and a ban on all Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) activities on Lebanese soil, whether on land, in the air, or at sea. Additionally, Beirut insisted that there be no modification to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was passed at the end of the 2006 Lebanon War.
Meanwhile, the IDF continued its operations in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah missile and rocket capabilities in villages further from the Israeli border. The IDF also carried out additional airstrikes in the Dahieh district of Beirut, which has been repeatedly attacked in recent days. The military stated that it was targeting Hezbollah’s weapons storage and production facilities.
Back in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and far-right coalition partners Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich to discuss military strategies on both the Lebanon and Gaza fronts.
