by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene the security cabinet in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to approve a 60-day ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, following over a year of conflict, despite opposition from northern leaders and some coalition members, according to multiple reports by Israeli media.

The reported proposal outlines a 60-day truce, during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon while the Lebanese army gradually deploys to the south, preventing Hezbollah from reestablishing a presence in the area.

Officials indicated progress toward an agreement despite ongoing strikes by Hezbollah, with senior Lebanese leaders expressing cautious optimism.

Lebanon’s Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab stated there were “no serious obstacles” to implementing the U.S.-proposed ceasefire, “unless [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu changes his mind.”

Saab said the ceasefire monitoring dispute was settled in the past 24 hours with a U.S.-led committee, including France and three other nations, to prevent Hezbollah’s return to southern Lebanon.

The reported ceasefire includes a 60-day truce with U.S. guarantees to Israel, an oversight of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and support for the Lebanese army to secure southern Lebanon. The ceasefire details how Hezbollah must withdraw north of the Litani River, with U.S., French, and other commitments to block its resupply of weapons by land, air, or sea.

Around 60,000 residents were evacuated from northern towns near the Lebanon border after Hamas’s October 7 attack, amid fears of a similar strike by Hezbollah and increasing rocket fire.

Avichai Stern, mayor of Kiryat Shmona, a town that borders Israel and Lebanon, condemned the ceasefire as a “surrender agreement,” urging leaders to reconsider.

“I call on our leaders to stop and think about the children of Kiryat Shmona. Look them in the eye and don’t risk their fate to be the next hostages,” he said.

“Why don’t we finish what we started?! We succeeded in collapsing Hezbollah, and instead of continuing to crush the organization and pulverize it to the ground, we inject it with oxygen and give it CPR? And where will our residents return? To the ruined city without security and without a horizon?! Has everyone here gone crazy?”

Meanwhile, Netanyahu faced criticism from within his own government.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir opposed the ceasefire on Monday, calling it a “grave mistake” and a “historic missed opportunity” to eliminate Hezbollah. He urged listening to “field commanders and local leaders” and argued that “with Hezbollah battered and eager for a ceasefire, we must not stop.” Ben-Gvir warned that the proposed measures regarding Lebanon would undermine efforts to combat the terrorist organization.

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