this is bbc news, the headlines... we've been hearing from the israeli

prime minister benjamin netanyahu confirmed he will be presenting to their cabinet for approval a cease—fire deal in lebanon to end the fighting with hezbollah. it follows a day of ferocious israeli attacks on beirut, the capital in lebanon. other headlines — as the search continues for survivors, five people have been found alive and for bodies recovered after the sinking of a tourist boat off egypt's red sea coast. in the world's oldest man has died at the age of 112. he was born in liverpool back in 1912 — the same year titanic sank. let's go back to frank gardner who's there for us injerusalem. can you

bring us up—to—date on the latest from the israeli prime minister and what he was saying in that address? he spoke like he was recommending a cease—fire deal and said that he would be putting it to his cabinet. you could be forgiven for thinking this is pretty opaque and confusing. believe me, i've been struggling to understand — has the security cabinet approved this thing or not? the answer is he's recommended it, it's expected to be approved, and he is expected to present tomorrow to the full cabinet and it's expected to pass. but can i give you a definitive answer that it's definitively passed through the cabinet? i would definitively passed through the cabinet? iwould need definitively passed through the cabinet? i would need to see it in writing. but i think the signs are that israel is approving or about to fully improve, or approve the

cease—fire deal. there's an enormous momentum here from the united states. prime minister netanyahu has spent the last hour endorsing the reasons why this deal should go ahead, he's been recounting all the ways in which israel has degraded the military capabilities of its enemies, both in gaza, yemen, iran and iraq, and syria. he says the hezbollah which attacked us from october eight onwards, his words, is not the same as the force it is today. now all of that will come as little consolation to those people in the north of israel who have been saying they don't think hezbollah has been sufficiently degraded, despite the enormous air strikes we've seen in the last me for hours going into beirut and in the days before that where a lot of civilians were killed despite all the damage to lebanon, there are people in the north of this country and the

security minister who have said that they want to see this war prosecuted further and longer. anyhow, it doesn't look like they'll get their way, it looks like the cease—fire deal will go ahead which is 60 days, a trial 60 days, two months — during which the israeli army will withdraw in stages from the south of lebanon where it's been active. hezbollah will withdraw 30 km north of the lebanon border, and the security vacuum will be backfilled by a bolstered lebanese national army and troops from you to fill —— uni fill. but i think the reason why he's been able to pass this and get us through the security cabinet or at least get their backing for it, even if they haven't signed off on it yet, the reason lebanon has been comfortable

with this is it reserves the right to go back into lebanon with presumably air strikes or ground forces if it determines there is an imminent military threat from hezbollah. that was a sticking point but they managed to get that past people on the lebanon side of it, so it looks like the deal is going to. frank, thank you very much for the update. let's go over to gideon levy, whojoins us now update. let's go over to gideon levy, who joins us now from tel aviv. thank you so much for being with us on bbc news once again. it looks like there will be an israeli acceptance of a cease—fire than in lebanon, what's your reaction to that? i lebanon, what's your reaction to that? ., ., ., , ., that? i have no doubt that it will be accepted _ that? i have no doubt that it will be accepted because _ that? i have no doubt that it will be accepted because the - that? i have no doubt that it will be accepted because the powers that? i have no doubt that it will - be accepted because the powers who want it are much stronger than those who don't want it. netanyahu has now a problem with his own political base, and therefore he's doing this

enormous effort to convince everyone how big the israeli achievements are, forgetting that israel gets paid turned into a pariah state in the months following the fighting in gaza. but the main problem remains gaza. but the main problem remains gaza — gaza is not closer this evening to a solution before this agreement, so it's very important of an agreement and a really positive development, but gaza is the main story. in development, but gaza is the main sto . ~ development, but gaza is the main sto. ~ ., story. in fact, mr netanyahu did talk and gave — story. in fact, mr netanyahu did talk and gave three _ story. in fact, mr netanyahu did talk and gave three reasons - story. in fact, mr netanyahu did talk and gave three reasons for| talk and gave three reasons for going along with a cease—fire now in lebanon. number one, he said it was to focus on the threat from iran, number two, to allow our forces and military to refresh and replenish weapons supplies, and three, to disconnect the two arenas of lebanon and gaza so that hamas would be left

alone on the battlefield, is what he said. does all that make sense to you? said. does all that make sense to ou? , , , ., , ., said. does all that make sense to ou? ,, you? yes, but it shows that israel has a problem _ you? yes, but it shows that israel has a problem because _ you? yes, but it shows that israel has a problem because he - you? yes, but it shows that israel has a problem because he hinted| you? yes, but it shows that israel - has a problem because he hinted also about ammunition and arms flowing from the united states — which will now be renewed. it's very clear that the americans didn't leave any choice for netanyahu but to sign on this agreement, and he did well when he did it, but it's very clear again that when the united states really wants something from israel, when the united states is really ready to take measures, then israel has to obey. take measures, then israel has to obe . �* ., take measures, then israel has to obe . �* . , take measures, then israel has to obe . �* ., , , take measures, then israel has to obe. obey. and also, this is a cease-fire, _ obey. and also, this is a cease-fire, assuming i obey. and also, this is a cease-fire, assuming it| obey. and also, this is a - cease-fire, assuming it does go cease—fire, assuming it does go through all the remaining hurdles in terms of the cabinet approval and so on, that last 60 days initially, and

israel reserves the right to go back in and start using the macro fighting hezbollah again. is this a cease—fire that you think will last? first of all, it's the end of the war with lebanon at this stage. it's much more than a cease—fire, but netanyahu, for his own domestic considerations, undermine it and says it's a cease—fire. it's wonderful and should be presented as a wonderful development — but netanyahu has other considerations. neta nyahu has other considerations. now netanyahu has other considerations. now we are getting back to square one. the agreement is they are after 60 days, the idea is they will withdraw from lebanon. be some silent, peacefulyears, months or even years — then it will all start from the beginning. even years - then it will all start from the beginning.— from the beginning. because in a sense, from the beginning. because in a sense. the _ from the beginning. because in a sense, the fighting _ from the beginning. because in a

sense, the fighting between - from the beginning. because in a. sense, the fighting between israel and hezbollah has been going on for and hezbollah has been going on for a long time, hasn't it? notjust the last year, but this is almost cyclical?— last year, but this is almost clical? ~ , ., cyclical? absolutely, and same in gaza. as cyclical? absolutely, and same in gaza- as long _ cyclical? absolutely, and same in gaza. as long as _ cyclical? absolutely, and same in gaza. as long as you _ cyclical? absolutely, and same in gaza. as long as you don't - cyclical? absolutely, and same in gaza. as long as you don't touch | cyclical? absolutely, and same in i gaza. as long as you don't touch the roots, as long as you don't heal the real wounds, we will face it every two years, a war in gaza or war in lebanon. —— every few years. the question is, is it possible to live like this forever? is it sustainable? we are going from war to war, you hear about ending one war and the prime minister is already talking about the next war. what kind of strategy as this? but he was trying in that television address to outline his successes, as he portrayed them, saying that the ground is trembling in lebanon, he had destroyed hezbollah�*s leadership and infrastructure, he's destroyed a lot of iran's military

infrastructure, a lot of hamas's infrastructure, a lot of hamas's infrastructure, 20,000 hamas infrastructure, 20 , 000 hamas terrorists, infrastructure, 20,000 hamas terrorists, he said — so he was trying to list what he saw as his achievements.— trying to list what he saw as his achievements. �* ., ., achievements. and part of them are crimes, achievements. and part of them are crimes. as — achievements. and part of them are crimes. as you _ achievements. and part of them are crimes, as you know, _ achievements. and part of them are crimes, as you know, ben, - achievements. and part of them are crimes, as you know, ben, when - achievements. and part of them are crimes, as you know, ben, when he| crimes, as you know, ben, when he speaks about the ground of lebanon shaking, what kind of achievement is that? what does israel achieve if lebanon is shaking? what is he achieve in the long run? he mentioned all the military achievements — he exaggerated, obviously — he condoned the tens of thousands of civilians who paid the price. but why does he think israel is in a better place now than a year ago, when this war could've been avoided? again and again, there is an agreement, we knew there would be an agreement, we knew there would be an agreement, we knew there would be an agreement — the same articles that there were in the last agreements a few years ago are

coming back now with the same promises, hollow as they were. and in a few years, we will meet again in a few years, we will meet again in the battlefield. this in a few years, we will meet again in the battlefield.— in the battlefield. this has been artl , or in the battlefield. this has been partly. or largely _ in the battlefield. this has been partly, or largely about - in the battlefield. this has been partly, or largely about the - partly, or largely about the citizens in the north of israel not feeling safe enough to be in their homes. again, mr netanyahu said absolutely clearly in the address, "we will return all the citizens absolutely clearly in the addre