Israeli security cabinet to discuss possible Lebanon ceasefire, senior official says

Israel's security cabinet will convene on Wednesday to discuss a possible Lebanon ceasefire, a senior Israeli official said, more than five weeks into a war with Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet will meet at 8 pm (1700 GMT), the official said.

Israel's offensive in Lebanon, which began on March 2 after the Iran-backed Hezbollah opened fire at Israel in support of Tehran, has killed more than 2,000 people and forced 1.2 million from their homes, according to Lebanese authorities.

US President Donald Trump earlier said the war with Iran could end soon, telling the world to watch out for an "amazing two days", while US forces imposing a blockade turned back vessels leaving Iranian ports.

On Tuesday, the US hosted the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades. Israel had ruled out discussion of a ceasefire with Lebanon during those talks.

Trump has urged Israel to scale back attacks in Lebanon, apparently to avoid undermining the ceasefire with Iran.

Iran has said Israel's ​campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon must be included in any agreement to end the wider war in the Middle East. Washington has pushed back, saying there is no ​link between the two sets of talks.