Nasrallah Agreed to Ceasefire Before Israeli Attack, Lebanon Claims

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib revealed in an interview with CNN that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had agreed to a ceasefire just days before he was killed on September 27 in an Israeli attack in Beirut. Habib referred to a US and French proposal for a 21-day ceasefire, which, according to initial reports, was supported by the Israeli government. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later rejected it.

The Lebanese government, after consultations with Hezbollah, had agreed to the ceasefire, and Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri was involved in these discussions. The US and French were informed of Hezbollah's position, and Israel had initially signaled agreement, but this changed shortly after. White House senior adviser Amos Hochstein had been prepared to travel to Lebanon to negotiate, but the situation deteriorated, with Israeli attacks continuing.

Habib's comments follow earlier statements by White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, who expressed surprise at Israel's shift on the ceasefire. Despite initial signals of approval from Tel Aviv, Netanyahu's government issued a statement acknowledging Washington and Paris's efforts but moving away from the proposed truce.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran refrained from retaliating for the Israeli killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh due to what he described as "false promises" from the US and Europe regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza.

In other developments, five people were killed in an Israeli attack on a Hezbollah rescue service center in Beirut, marking the second strike on the Lebanese capital that week. The Israeli army has carried out multiple strikes targeting Hezbollah positions, with 46...