Israeli war planes hit Beirut's southern suburbs with a wave of airstrikes on Tuesday just before Israel's cabinet met to discuss a ceasefire deal with its Hezbollah foes.

Israel and Lebanon appear to be close to a ceasefire deal, with the Israeli cabinet set to meet on Tuesday to discuss it, Israeli officials say. A 60-day truce is being proposed to end fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah.

Israeli warplanes struck central Beirut and the city’s southern suburbs on Tuesday, raising palls of smoke over the Lebanese capital ahead of a planned vote by Israel’s leadership on whether to