Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister has said he hopes a ceasefire deal between Hezbollah and Israel will be announced “within hours”.
Najib Mikati made the comments after speaking to US envoy Amos Hochstein.
According to Israeli broadcaster Kan, the draft deal would see Israeli forces pull out within a week of the truce starting.
It would reportedly last an initial 60 days and includes Israel’s “right to act in self-defence” against imminent threats.
However, the White House urged caution and said there were “many reports and drafts circulating” which “do not reflect the current state of negotiations”.
Israel began a ground offensive in Lebanon at the start of October.
More than a million people have been displaced, according to Lebanon’s government, and many have been killed or injured.
Israel says it’s intended to allow its citizens to return to homes near the border after rocket fire from Hezbollah over the past year forced them to move.
The Iran-aligned group is designated a terrorist entity by countries including the UK and US.
Its new leader, Naim Kassem, said earlier on Wednesday it would keep fighting until it’s offered acceptable ceasefire terms.
In his first public comments since replacing Hassan Nasrallah, he said: “If the Israelis decide to stop the aggression, we say that we accept, but according to the conditions that we see as suitable.”
“We will not beg for a ceasefire as we will continue (fighting)… no matter how long it takes.”
As Israel’s offensive continued on Wednesday, Lebanon’s state-run news agency said airstrikes had hit the eastern city of Baalbek.
It came hours after Israel issued an evacuation warning for the whole city, including its Roman temple complex – a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Lebanon’s health ministry says more than 2,790 people have been killed and about 12,700 wounded in fighting since 8 October last year.
That was when Hezbollah began firing rockets in the wake of the Hamas terror attack, drawing retaliation from Israel.
