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Talks to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon “are on the right path” and a deal is “close”, Italy’s foreign minister said Tuesday after a G7 meeting.
“As a G7 we have worked hard to try to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon… we are on the right path,” Antonio Tajani told reporters at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the Group of Seven industrialised nations near Rome.
He added: “We are close to an agreement… as for the aftermath, we will see what happens.
“There will be various structures that will verify the situation on the ground, the application of the agreement.
“We will certainly be part of some of those structures, also because we are part of UNIFIL,” the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.
Israel’s security cabinet was set to discuss a proposed ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah in Lebanon Tuesday afternoon, as a hail of air strikes encircled south Beirut in what state media called a “belt of fire”.
The United States, European Union, United Nations and G7, among others, have pushed for a halt to the long-running hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
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