Israel's UN ambassador: Lebanon cease-fire talks 'moving forward’ 

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told VOA connected Monday that negotiations toward a cease-fire with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese Shia militia, are "moving forward" but person not been “finalized."

He added that Israel would clasp the quality to onslaught confederate Lebanon nether immoderate agreement.

Ahead of a U.N. Security Council meeting, Danon said helium expected Israel's Cabinet to convene connected Monday oregon Tuesday to sermon the cease-fire deal.

“We volition marque definite that we volition person the quality to neutralize immoderate menace that volition not beryllium dealt [with] successful confederate Lebanon. I anticipation that the Lebanese service volition instrumentality attraction of that successful the future, but if they volition fail, again, we volition beryllium there,” Danon said.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's lawman speaker, Elias Bou Saab, said determination are nary large obstacles to implementing a U.S.-proposed cease-fire deal, which requires Israel's withdrawal from confederate Lebanon and Lebanese unit deployment wrong 60 days.

A five-nation committee, chaired by the United States and including France, volition oversee the process.

Earlier connected Monday, Israeli forces carried retired airstrikes connected Beirut’s confederate suburbs successful attacks that followed Israeli warnings for radical to permission the area.

The Israeli subject said successful its informing that Hezbollah militants were operating successful Haret Hreik, and a abbreviated clip aboriginal astatine slightest 2 strikes sent dense fume rising into the sky.

An Israeli subject spokesperson said the strikes targeted Hezbollah subject bid headquarters.

The onslaught came a time aft Hezbollah militants fired astir 250 rockets and different projectiles into Israel successful effect to an Israeli onslaught connected Beirut that killed astatine slightest 29 people.

Some of the Hezbollah strikes reached the Tel Aviv country successful the bosom of Israel and wounded 7 people. The battle was 1 of the largest Hezbollah has mounted since it started firing connected Israel much than a twelvemonth agone successful enactment of Hamas militants, who attacked Israel successful October 2023 and person been warring with Israel successful Gaza since then.

The warring has caused a humanitarian crisis, displacing hundreds of thousands.

On Monday, the United Nations World Food Program announced that it has provided exigency assistance to much than a half-million radical successful Lebanon since the struggle began. The WFP said it plans to scope 1 cardinal radical and is continuing to enactment tirelessly to present captious assistance to affected communities.

But Josep Borrell, the European Union’s overseas argumentation chief, dampened hopes for a halt to the fighting.

“I americium not convinced it is going to happen,” Borrell told reporters Sunday evening aft a time of gathering with Lebanese officials. “I bash not spot the Israeli authorities funny intelligibly successful reaching an statement for a cease-fire.”

Hamas militants killed 1,200 radical and captured astir 250 hostages successful their October 7, 2023, onslaught connected Israel that sparked the existent warfare successful Gaza. Israel says it believes Hamas is inactive holding 101 hostages, including 35 the subject says are dead.

Israel’s counteroffensive successful Gaza has killed astatine slightest 44,235 Palestinians, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which does not separate betwixt combatants and civilians successful its count.

Hamas and Hezbollah person been designated arsenic panic groups by the United States, the United Kingdom and different Western countries.

VOA State Department bureau main Nike Ching and United Nations analogous Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some worldly successful this study came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.