Lebanon Claims Nasrallah Agreed To Temporary Ceasefire Just Before Assassination

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib revealed in a PBS interview that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah agreed to a US and French-proposed 21-day ceasefire with Israel just before he was killed by Israel. Bou Habib stated that Nasrallah's agreement was secured through Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri, who consulted with Hezbollah and informed the Americans and the French. The top Lebanese diplomat claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also agreed to the ceasefire, as stated by the Americans and the French. The agreement was part of a joint statement issued by the US, France, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, and other nations on September 25, urging an immediate 21-day ceasefire. White House senior adviser Amos Hochstein was set to go to Lebanon to negotiate the ceasefire, according to Bou Habib. A Western source familiar with the negotiations confirmed that Hezbollah had agreed to the temporary truce shortly before the US released the proposal. However, the White House has denied the claims, with State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stating that the information was never communicated to them. Critics of Israel have accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of sabotaging efforts at peace to prolong his power and rule at home. The revelation has huge implications, but no specific further evidence of Nasrallah's agreement has emerged. The accuracy of Bou Habib's statements is still uncertain, with further reporting needed to confirm the claims.