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Iran welcomes end of Israel 'aggression' in Lebanon, Tehran's foreign ministry said.

The Israeli army on Wednesday warned residents of south Lebanon not to approach Israeli army positions after a ceasefire between Israel and militant group Hezbollah took hold.

"With the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement and based on its provisions... you are prohibited from heading towards the villages that the IDF has ordered to be evacuated or towards IDF forces in the area," army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon took effect on Wednesday after more than a year of fighting that has killed thousands of people.

The truce, which began at 4:00 am (0200 GMT), should bring to a halt a war that has forced tens of thousands of people in Israel and hundreds of thousands more in Lebanon to flee their homes.

The US military said Tuesday it conducted a strike against an unnamed Iranian-aligned group's weapons storage facility in Syria in response to an attack on American forces a day earlier.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X that the strike aimed to "degrade their ability to plan and launch future attacks on US and Coalition forces who are in the region to conduct D-ISIS operations," referring to a mission to target the Islamic State group.

It said that there were no civilian casualties found during its assessment of the strike.

The US military has around 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq as part of the international coalition that was established in 2014 to help combat the Islamic State jihadist group.

Since war broke out in the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, pro-Iran groups have repeatedly targeted US forces in Iraq and Syria in response to Washington's support for Israel.

The United States has on multiple occasions responded to such attacks with strikes on Iran-backed groups.

The Israeli army on Wednesday ordered the evacuation of residents in areas of central Beirut and the southern suburbs of Lebanon's capital, hours ahead of an agreed ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

"Urgent warning to residents of the Beirut area," army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X, telling people in the Bachoura area in the city centre to leave, as well as "all residents in the southern suburb area", specifically in Ghobeiry.

A Syria war monitor said Israeli strikes on the Lebanon-Syria border late Tuesday killed two soldiers as Lebanon also reported one dead, the latest frontier raids amid news of a Hezbollah and Israel truce.

"Israeli warplanes targeted the Al-Arida crossing in Tartus province for the first time, and the Dabussiyeh and Jussiyeh crossings in Homs province," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reporting "two regime forces killed" at Dabussiyeh.

Lebanon's health ministry said an "Israeli enemy strike" on the Al-Arida crossing killed "one person", adding that the toll was provisional.

The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, also reported other strikes on unofficial crossings and bridges between the two countries.

State news agency SANA reported "Israeli aggression that targeted the Al-Arida and Dabussiyeh border crossings with Lebanon", without reporting casualties.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that a ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Lebanon should "open the path" for an ending of the war in Gaza.

"This agreement should open the path for a ceasefire too long awaited with regards to the incomparable suffering of the population in Gaza," Macron said in a video posted on X.

He added that it "shows that only political courage can provide everyone in the Middle East long-term peace and stability".

Lebanon's Hezbollah said it launched drones at "sensitive military targets" in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening, after deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut and as news of a ceasefire deal was announced.

"In response to the targeting of the capital Beirut and the massacres committed by the Israeli enemy against civilians," Hezbollah launched "drones at a group of sensitive military targets in the city of Tel Aviv and its suburbs", the Iran-backed group said in a statement.

Hezbollah announced attacks on troops in north Israel late on Tuesday amid news of a ceasefire between the Lebanese group and Israel after more than a year of hostilities and two months of all-out war.

In separate statements, the Iran-backed Hezbollah said its fighters targeted "a gathering of Israeli enemy forces" across the border in Shtula and in Kiryat Shmona, each with "a salvo of rockets".

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday praised a "long overdue" ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that would "provide some measure of relief to the civilian populations" of both countries.

Calling for the truce to be "turned into a lasting political solution in Lebanon", Starmer vowed to be at the "forefront of efforts to break the ongoing cycle of violence in pursuit of a long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East".

A top UN official welcomed Tuesday's ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, but warned that "considerable work lies ahead" to implement the deal.

"Nothing less than the full and unwavering commitment of both parties is required," UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said in a statement shortly after the agreement was announced.

Israel issued evacuation warnings for Beirut's southern suburbs late on Tuesday, just hours before a ceasefire is set to take effect. 

Biden on Tuesday said the United States would lead a fresh effort to secure a truce in Gaza, as he welcomed a ceasefire to end hostilities between Israel and Lebanon.

"Now Hamas has a choice to make. Their only way out is to release the hostages, including American citizens, which they hold, and, in the process, bring an end to the fighting, which would make possible a surge of humanitarian relief," Biden said.

"Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. With the hostages released and the end of the war without Hamas in power, that becomes possible."

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen hailed Tuesday the "very encouraging news" that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a ceasefire, saying the deal would increase Lebanon's "internal security and stability".

The announcement was welcomed news "first and foremost for the Lebanese and Israeli people affected by the fighting," Von der Leyen said on X. "Lebanon will have an opportunity to increase internal security and stability thanks to Hezbollah's reduced influence."

Israeli strikes targeted the Arida and Dabousieh border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, Syrian state media said late on Tuesday

The ceasefire deal for Lebanon will provide the conditions needed for a return to calm in the country, and France and the United States will both work to ensure the ceasefire is fully implemented, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron said a joint statement on Tuesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier on Tuesday that he was ready to implement a ceasefire deal with Lebanon and would respond forcefully to any violation by Hezbollah.

Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, on Tuesday welcomed a U.S.-brokered deal to end hostilities between Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel, according to a statement from his office.

The statement, which said he welcomed the agreement in a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden, came moments after Biden concluded a speech announcing the cessation of hostilities would come into effect at 4 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the security cabinet has approved the ceasefire deal with Hezbollah.

Netanyahu’s office said the plan was approved by a vote of 10-1.

US President Biden has hailed the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon as "good news", in remarks made following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that a ceasefire deal was approved.

The US President said Israel has "the right to fight back" should Hezbollah violate the deal.

Biden said that the US and France will "work together" to ensure the ceasefire deal is implemented, and pledged to strengthen the Lebanese army, who should be deployed to the country's south according to the ceasefire agreement.

The ceasefire, according to US officials, is set to take 4am local time. 

At least 3,823 people have been killed in Lebanon and 15,859 wounded by Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023, the country’s Health Ministry says.

55 people were killed and 160 injured, in the last 24-hour reporting period, the ministry added.

US President Joe Biden is set to speak at the White House later following the announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that he’s forwarded a ceasefire deal with Lebanon's Hezbollah to the cabinet for final approval.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that a ceasefire with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to be adopted in the evening would allow Israel to "intensify" pressure on Hamas and focus on the "Iranian threat".

"When Hezbollah is out of the picture, Hamas is left alone in the fight. Our pressure on it will intensify," Netanyahu said, adding that a ceasefire would also enable "focusing on the Iranian threat" and give the military time to resupply.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he would bring a US-brokered proposal for a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon to his security cabinet for a vote as soon as this evening.

"Citizens of Israel, this evening I will bring a ceasefire outline for the cabinet's approval," Netanyahu said in a televised address. "The length of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon."

A strike hit a central Beirut shopping district on Tuesday, an AFP journalist said, shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cabinet would agree to a truce with Hezbollah.

An AFP video journalist saw smoke rising from the targeted building in the normally busy Hamra district, home to residential buildings, restaurants, offices, shops, the American University of Beirut and its associated hospital.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati demanded in a statement on Tuesday that the international community "act swiftly" to halt Israeli aggression "and implement an immediate ceasefire".

His comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address that the country's security cabinet would agree "this evening" on a truce deal in its war against Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Mikati said the intense wave of Israeli air strikes on Beirut on Tuesday "reaffirms that the Israeli enemy has no regard for any law or consideration".

"The international community is called upon to act swiftly to stop this aggression and implement an immediate ceasefire," he said in his statement, which was issued before a strike hit the central Hamra commercial district.

Netanyahu, speaking on Israeli television, said that the cabinet will agree on an outline for the truce deal with Hezbollah "this evening", adding that the government will focus its shift onto "Iranian threats", with whom it has been engaged in tit-for-tat attacks since the start of the war in Gaza.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking on Israeli television following the cabinet's decision to approve a ceasefire deal with Lebanon.

In his speech, the Israeli premier said the government is "committed" to returning residents to north Israel, and secure the return of captives from Gaza, which remains under an intense Israeli onslaught.

He also said that Hezbollah is "no longer" the group it was at the start of its conflict with the group, having "set it back decades".

Netanyahu warned that it would strike the Shia group and have "full freedom" to act should it break the ceasefire deal, which requires them to move away from the border south of the Litani River.

Israeli troops are also required to withdraw from south Lebanon, which it invaded at the start of October.

Israel cabinet approves ceasefire deal with Lebanon, Israeli media said, as cited by Reuters.

This is a developing story. More to follow...

Italy on Tuesday said there were "many doubts" about an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it was not feasible to arrest him as long as he remained in charge of the government.

Italy, which currently chairs the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies, hosted a foreign ministers meeting which issued a final statement that stopped short of directly mentioning the ICC warrants for the Israeli and Hamas leaders.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who tried to forge a common G7 position on the issue, said Rome had many doubts on the legality of the mandates and clarity was needed on whether high state officials had immunity from the arrest.

"Netanyahu would never go to a country where he can be arrested," Tajani told a news conference at the end of the two-day meeting Italy hosted in the spa town of Fiuggi.

"The arrest of Netanyahu is unfeasible, at least as long as he is prime minister," he said.

The ICC issue sparked tension within Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition.

Lebanon's Health Ministry reports 11 killed and 10 injured as Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut, Tyre, and Bint Jbeil.

Death toll includes six in Shaqra and three in central Beirut.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will deliver a televised statement at 8 pm tonight, following his security cabinet meeting where ministers are expected to approve the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, Israeli media reports.

Syria's SANA news agency reports that Israeli jets have carried out airstrikes on two villages in the Homs region.

Further details will follow as the situation develops.

Gaza's civil defence agency said Tuesday 22 people were killed in Israeli air strikes and shelling of the Palestinian territory, including 11 killed by a strike on a school-turned-shelter for displaced civilians.

"At least 11 Palestinians were killed and more than 40 injured in an Israeli air strike that targeted Al-Hurriya School, which houses thousands of displaced people.

Hamas condemned the strike as a "new crime".

Earlier on Tuesday, the agency said 11 people were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes and shelling.

In the northern city of Jabalia, seven people were killed and several wounded in an air strike on a residential building, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP.

Another person was killed in a strike on a house in nearby Beit Lahia, which along with Jabalia has been the focus of a major Israeli military operation since October 6.

Two people were killed in shelling of Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, Bassal said.

In the southern city of Rafah, an air strike killed one person and wounded several, he added.

Incoming US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee commented on the potential ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, asserting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "smart" to retain the option to resume fighting if Hezbollah violates the truce.

Huckabee expressed cautious optimism about the agreement, but claimed there was the challenge of trust.

"This would be wonderful if it holds. The problem is Hezbollah and its Iranian-backed proxies like Hamas and the Houthis have never kept an agreement," Huckabee further claimed.

"Iran ought to be worried. They know what happened when Donald Trump was on office before — the maximum pressure he put on the Iranian government pretty well bankrupted them."

Seven people have been killed and 37 injured in Israeli airstrikes on a building housing displaced individuals in Beirut's Nweiri area, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

The four-storey building was destroyed in the bombing, which targeted a densely populated area where people had sought refuge from prior Israeli bombardments.

The Israeli army said 10 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into northern Israel on Tuesday, triggering sirens in the port city of Haifa and other areas.

"Following the sirens that sounded between 16:44 (1444 GMT) and 16:45 in the Haifa Bay area, five projectiles that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory were intercepted by the IAF (Israeli air force)," the army said in a statement, adding that another five were fired into the Upper and Western Galilee, some of which were intercepted.

Hezbollah lawmaker Amin Sherri told reporters Tuesday that Israel wanted to take revenge on the Lebanese people, particularly the group's supporters, before a possible ceasefire.

"The Israeli enemy... seeks revenge on supporters of the resistance and on all Lebanese," Sherri told reporters at the site of a deadly Israeli strike on the Lebanese capital amid intense attacks on the group's south Beirut bastion.

Israeli forces have issued new evacuation orders for residents in Tyre and Sidon, Lebanon, warning of imminent attacks on areas claimed to be near Hezbollah facilities.

In a post on X, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned civilians to evacuate their buildings and nearby areas for safety, advising a 500-meter distance from targeted sites.

Israel has warned of imminent attacks on several branches of the al-Qard al-Hassan association, alleging its use by Hezbollah for military purposes.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated that the strikes aim to disrupt Iranian funding to the group.

Adraee also urged Lebanese residents to evacuate buildings alleged to be used by Hezbollah, promising to release evacuation maps in the coming hours.

Israel’s Security Cabinet has started discussions on ratifying the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera English.

Further updates will follow as the talks progress.

Lebanon reported three deaths Tuesday in Israeli strikes on a Beirut building housing displaced people, with state media describing a "belt of fire" around south Beirut.

"The Israeli strike on the Nweiri area in Beirut destroyed a four-storey building housing displaced people," said Lebanon's official National News Agency, or NNA.

The health ministry said three people were killed and 26 wounded in the strikes on a densely populated area where people displaced by the Israeli aerial bombardment had sought refuge.

Shortly after the Beirut strike, "a belt of fire has encircled (Beirut's) southern suburbs, as raids targeted Burj al-Barajneh, Haret Hreik and Hadath, with smoke covering most of the southern suburbs and reaching Beirut," NNA said.

The south Beirut strikes came amid a flurry of Israeli evacuation calls for the area that included at least 20 buildings, following earlier morning strikes.

G7 foreign ministers called on Tuesday for an "immediate ceasefire" in Lebanon, as Israel's security cabinet was set to discuss a proposed truce in its war with Hezbollah.

"We support the ongoing negotiation for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah," the ministers said in a statement, adding: "Now is the time to conclude a diplomatic settlement."

The statement also mentioned that they "will comply with our respective obligations" regarding the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"We reiterate our commitment to International Humanitarian Law and will comply with our respective obligations. We underline that there can be no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel," the ministers from the Group of Seven rich countries said following talks near Rome.

According to Lebanese news outlet Al Jadeed, a joint statement from the US and France will be issued shortly after 10 pm local time, confirming a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati is expected to release a parallel statement welcoming the ceasefire.

The Israeli military reported striking around 30 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon since this morning.

These included a launcher used in yesterday's attack on Israel, "weapons storage facilities, terrorist infrastructure sites, command centres, and additional launchers", the army said in a statement today.

The Israeli military said Tuesday it was currently striking the Beirut area after warning residents in the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs to leave.

"You are located near facilities and interests affiliated with Hezbollah, against which the Israel Defense Forces will act in the near future," military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X including a map of the targeted areas.

The army in a statement minutes later said it "is currently conducting strikes on Hezbollah terror targets in the area of Beirut" but did not provide more details.

Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon have been filmed imitating a Christian wedding ceremony inside a church in the village of Deir Mimas, according to Israeli news publication Haaretz.

In response, an Israeli army spokesperson stated: "This is a serious act that is not in line with [Israeli army] values and orders. The [Israeli army] respects all religions and condemns this type of behaviour. The incident is under investigation, and those involved will face disciplinary action."

Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary reports that Israeli forces have struck another school in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, where thousands of displaced Palestinians had sought shelter.

At least 11 people, including women and children, were killed in the attack, while 30 others were injured.

Civil defence teams in Gaza City have stated they can no longer respond to emergencies due to a lack of fuel for firefighting and ambulance vehicles, a result of Israel's continued blockade.

The strict siege on Gaza, now lasting over 50 days, has severely hindered rescue operations and life-saving efforts in both Gaza City and northern Gaza, leaving civilians in desperate need.

Jordanian military planes conducted an airdrop of aid to northern Gaza on Tuesday, marking the first such operation in five months, an official source told news agency Reuters.

Two C-130 aircraft from the Jordanian air force delivered nearly seven tonnes of food and essential relief supplies.

The aid was directed to areas identified by UN agencies as most in need, where residents face acute hunger and shortages.

The rescue organisation has announced that its crews in Gaza City are no longer able to operate due to a lack of fuel for fire, rescue, and ambulance vehicles.

In a statement, Palestinian Civil Defence said, "Our teams will not be able to respond to citizens' calls until the Israeli occupation allows humanitarian organisations to bring in the necessary quantities of diesel."

The Civil Defence also criticised Israel’s continued refusal to allow aid—including fuel—into northern Gaza, describing it as a "death sentence" for citizens whose homes have been bombed and are now exposed to fire.

Yesterday, an UNRWA official reported that Israel is still blocking essential aid from entering the Strip.

Israel’s military has claimed to have killed the head of Hezbollah’s “operations unit in the coastal sector� in Tyre.

According to the military, the commander was involved in planning “infiltration operations into Israeli territory� and played a role in launching antitank missiles at the western Galilee.

Hezbollah has not yet confirmed the Israeli claim.

Recent Israeli strikes in Tyre have also resulted in Lebanese civilian casualties. On Saturday, two fishermen were killed by an Israeli drone off the city’s coast.

Israeli forces have launched another deadly strike near Gaza City, targeting an area near a bakery where a group of people had gathered, according to Wafa news agency.

The attack has resulted in multiple casualties, though the exact number is unclear at this time.

Further details will be provided as they become available.

The agreement with Lebanon will maintain Israel's freedom of operation there to act in defence to remove Hezbollah's threat and enable the safe return of the residents of the north of Israel to their homes, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told news agency Reuters on Tuesday. 

Israel's security cabinet will meet on Tuesday afternoon to discuss a proposed ceasefire deal in its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said.

"It is extremely sensitive and I do not want to go into details about it because of the sensitivity of the issue," Haskel told reporters in Jerusalem.

Lebanon's foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib said he hoped a ceasefire to end fighting between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah would be agreed later on Tuesday.

He said the Lebanese army would be ready to have at least 5,000 troops deployed in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops withdraw, and that the United States could play a role in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by Israeli strikes.

More than 44,249 Palestinians have been killed and 104,746 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The health ministry also released data highlighting the catastrophic impact of Israeli attacks on families in Gaza:

• 1,410 families have been completely wiped out.
• 3,463 families have only one surviving member.
• 2,287 families have lost members but still have multiple survivors.

In total, 7,160 families have lost multiple members, with 1,281 families losing at least five members each.

The UN rights chief is gravely concerned over the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and wants a "permanent ceasefire" there and in war-ravaged Gaza, his spokesman said Tuesday.

"The only way to end the suffering of people on all sides is a permanent and immediate ceasefire on all fronts: in Lebanon, in Israel and in Gaza," Jeremy Laurence, a spokesman for Volker Turk, told reporters in Geneva.

Israel demands effective UN enforcement of an eventual ceasefire deal with Lebanon and will show "zero tolerance" toward any infraction, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday.

"Any house in southern Lebanon that is rebuilt and established as a terrorist base will be destroyed, every armament and terrorist regrouping will be struck, every attempt to smuggle weapons will be thwarted and any threat to our forces or to Israeli citizens will be destroyed immediately," Katz told the UN's special co-ordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.

US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk will be in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss using a potential Lebanon ceasefire as a catalyst for a deal ending hostilities in Gaza, the White House said on Monday. 

Gaza's civil defence agency said Tuesday morning that 11 people were killed in nighttime Israeli air strikes and artillery shelling across the Palestinian territory.

In the northern city of Jabalia, seven people were killed and several others wounded in an air strike on a residential building, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told news agency AFP.

Another person was killed in a strike on a house in nearby Beit Lahia, which along with Jabalia has been the site of an intensive Israeli military operation since October 6.

Two people were killed by artillery shelling on Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, Bassal said.

In the southern city of Rafah, an air strike killed one and wounded several, he added.

Israel has no reason to turn down a proposed ceasefire with Lebanon brokered by France and the United States, the European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday.

Israel is preparing to decide whether to accept the proposed ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah, after long-running hostilities flared into all-out war in late September.

"There is a proposal on the table, brokered by the US and by France, which gives Israel all the security commitments they were asking for. There is no excuse to reject this proposal," Borrell said at a G7 foreign ministers meeting near Rome.

"I heard voices from the extremist ministers of the Israeli government willing to continue the fight, willing to continue the bombing," Borrell told journalists in Fiuggi.

"Let's hope that today (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's government will approve the ceasefire agreement... No more excuses. No more additional requests. Stop this fighting. Stop killing people", he said.

Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group of nations and is hosting the foreign ministers' meeting, voiced "optimism" on Monday about a ceasefire.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right interior security minister, has criticised the potential ceasefire with Hezbollah, calling it a "historic missed opportunity."

Speaking to Kan Radio, Ben-Gvir said:
"We have a historic opportunity to act decisively in the south [Gaza] and north [Lebanon]. It will be a historic missed opportunity if we stop everything and go backwards."

Referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reported willingness to reach an agreement, Ben-Gvir remarked, "It’s possible that someone doesn’t want to hear my objections."

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has criticised the timing of efforts to reach a settlement with Lebanon, suggesting it should have been pursued much earlier.

Speaking to Israeli local news outlet Maariv, Lapid remarked:

"A military move should end with a political move. I’m in the opposition, and it’s easiest for me to attack the government, but he [Prime Minister Netanyahu] is right, and it was right to do it 10 months ago. In the end, this is not an ideal arrangement; the move should have been made many, many months ago."

While speculation about an imminent agreement between Hezbollah and Israel remains high, it is unclear whether a final settlement will be reached.

Israeli warplanes have targeted a home in Jabalia, northern Gaza, causing deaths and injuries, according to Wafa.

The exact number of casualties from the strike, which occurred near an-Nazla primary school, remains unclear.

In a separate incident, Israeli shelling wounded several people in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, as reported by correspondents on the ground.

Further details on these attacks will be provided as they become available.

Israel's security cabinet was due to meet Tuesday to vote on a proposed ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, an official said, while the White House voiced optimism that a deal was close.

As truce talks intensified, Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli strikes killed at least 31 people on Monday, mostly in the south.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the security cabinet "will decide on Tuesday evening on the ceasefire deal".

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the talks were progressing but not finalised.

"We believe we've reached this point where we're close," he said, adding "we're not there yet".

France reported "significant progress" in ceasefire talks, and Italy, which holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group of nations, expressed "optimism" over a truce in Lebanon.

US news outlet Axios reported the draft agreement includes a 60-day transition period.

Israeli forces would withdraw, the Lebanese army would redeploy near the border, and Hezbollah would move heavy weapons north of the Litani River, said Axios.

A US-led committee would oversee implementation, with provisions allowing Israel to act against imminent threats if Lebanese forces fail to intervene, it added.