By Zein Khalil
JERUSALEM (AA) — Israeli media reported Monday that the country’s Cabinet is expected to convene Tuesday to approve a proposed cease-fire agreement with Lebanon.
The reports come amid a flurry of optimistic statements from US and Israeli officials over the past 24 hours, suggesting that a deal may be close.
Lebanon has yet to issue any official confirmation, and the Hezbollah group has cautioned against "false positive atmospheres" propagated by the Washington and Tel Aviv.
"An agreement has been reached regarding the elements of the deal, and the Cabinet is expected to meet on Tuesday to approve it," the news website Walla quoted an unnamed senior Israeli official as saying.
The official added, "We believe there is an agreement. We are on the verge of the finish line, but we have not crossed it yet because the Israeli government still needs to approve the deal tomorrow. Anything could happen at the last minute."
In line with these sentiments, Walla also quoted an unnamed US official, who said the administration of President Joe Biden "believes a cease-fire agreement with Lebanon has been reached."
Meanwhile, Israel’s public broadcaster, KAN, reported "a prevailing belief in Israel that the agreement with Lebanon has been finalized."
The report added that a "limited consultation" was scheduled for Tuesday to discuss the deal, without specifying the participants. Following the meeting, a broader Cabinet discussion on the agreement may take place.