Israeli security cabinet meeting on Lebanon ceasefire underway as strikes in Beirut intensify

The Israeli security cabinet meeting on a US-backed ceasefire deal in Lebanon is underway, according to an Israeli official. Follow for live updates on war in the Middle East.

• The Israeli security cabinet meeting on a US-backed ceasefire deal in Lebanon is underway, according to an Israeli official. The proposal aims to achieve a 60-day cessation of hostilities with Hezbollah that some hope could form the basis of a lasting ceasefire. • Israel’s military says it launched several strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut Tuesday, part of a broader offensive that began in September, killing top commanders, carrying out waves of strikes and sending troops into southern Lebanon, with the stated war goal of allowing displaced Israelis to return to northern areas. • More than 3,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since then, according to a CNN tally. And more than a million Lebanese people have been displaced. • In Gaza, the Israel-Hamas war rages on, with the death toll surpassing 44,200, according the Palestinian health ministry. Meanwhile, heavy rains in recent days have flooded makeshift camps, where displaced Palestinians are bracing for a harsh winter, according to the UN. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken downplayed the latest barrage of Israeli strikes on Beirut, saying that “rockets, missiles…going in both directions” underscore the need for a ceasefire. “Yes, we’re seeing these attacks in Beirut directed against Hezbollah. But every single day, Hezbollah has been launching projectiles into Israel, into northern Israel, as it’s done virtually every day since October 7, which is how this problem started,” Blinken said at a news conference in Italy Tuesday.