Lebanon agrees ceasefire while Israel vows to continue strike

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday the Israel Defense Forces will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon and threatened to strike the Lebanese capital Beirut if Hezbollah does not stop firing at Israel.

Netanyahu said in a post on X he spoke with US President Donald Trump by phone on Monday evening and told him if Hezbollah does not stop firing, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut.

This, as Lebanese authorities confirmed on Monday Hezbollah had agreed to a US proposal for a "mutual cessation of attacks" with Israel.

The Lebanese embassy in Washington said in a post on X that the confirmation followed a phone call between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which the situation in Lebanon and efforts to de-escalate tensions were discussed.