US President Donald Trump said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extend the ceasefire with Iran could be reached “over the next week.”
He also said he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pull troops back from Beirut and spoke with Hezbollah representatives, who agreed to halt attacks on Israeli forces, according to the Gulf News.
However, Netanyahu said Israel would continue striking if Hezbollah targets Israeli cities and that operations in southern Lebanon would proceed as planned. Lebanese officials meanwhile said Hezbollah had accepted a US-backed ceasefire proposal.
Meanwhile, at an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Monday, most members — with the exception of the United States — called for Israel to pull its forces out of southern Lebanon and avoid further escalation.
The session, convened at France’s request, came amid rising tensions and mass displacement in Lebanon, where tens of thousands fled their homes as shelters became overcrowded following warnings of imminent Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The day also saw Israel advancing further into southern Lebanon, fuelling fears of a widening military operation and deepening panic across the country.
