Israel, Hezbollah near ceasefire agreement amid ongoing Middle East conflict

[Anchor]

Now, let's take a look at the situation in the Middle East war.

Despite the sounds of gunfire, ceasefire negotiations aimed at temporarily halting the war are gaining momentum.

It is reported that Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah are close to a two-month ceasefire under U.S. mediation.

This is Kim Gae-hyung reporting.

[Report]

The center of Beirut, Lebanon, was bombarded by Israel early this morning local time.

Residential buildings were destroyed, resulting in at least 11 deaths and 63 injuries.

Hezbollah needs to halt these Israeli attacks to rebuild its organization, and Israel is also under pressure to allow the return of tens of thousands of refugees who had been living near Lebanon, which is accelerating the ceasefire negotiations.

It is reported that both sides are nearing an agreement for a 60-day temporary ceasefire and the establishment of a buffer zone under U.S. mediation.

[Amos Hochstein/U.S. Middle East Special Envoy: "The window is now. I hope the coming days yield a resolute decision."]

The key point is the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and the retreat of Hezbollah militants to the north of the Litani River, which is 29 km from the border.

Lebanese government forces and UN peacekeepers will be deployed in areas vacated by Hezbollah to prevent clashes.

This is very similar to the content of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 adopted in 2006.

A last-minute variable is Israel's demand that it should be able to exercise its right to self-defense freely if Hezbollah violates the ceasefire agreement.

[Gideon Sa'ar/Israeli Foreign Minister: "Any agreement we will reach, we will need to keep the freedom of, to act, if there will be violations."]

Unlike the Lebanon war, discussions on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza are currently very difficult.

This is Kim Gae-hyung reporting from Dubai for KBS News.