Israel's Cabinet has agreed to a U.N.-mediated cease-fire, aimed at ending the fighting in Lebanon. The cease-fire is scheduled to take effect at 5:00 UTC Monday. Nearly 30 Israeli soldiers were killed in a 24-hour period by the end of Sunday, which was the heaviest day of fighting of the month-long conflict in Lebanon.
After nearly five hours of discussions and debate, Israel's Cabinet voted to approve the U.N. cease-fire resolution, which was passed by the Security Council late Friday.
Speaking after the vote in the Israeli Cabinet, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said the cease-fire deal will change the rules of the game between Israel and Lebanon.
Livni says Israeli troops will only withdraw from Lebanon when the Lebanese army and international troops deploy in the southern part of the country, and, eventually, the cease-fire should lead to the disarming of Hezbollah.
Livni also says Israel will not neglect its goal of achieving the release of two of its soldiers, whose capture by Hezbollah militants on July 12 sparked the current crisis.
Under the agreement, Israel and Hezbollah are to agree to a cessation of hostilities. Fifteen thousand more international peacekeepers will join U.N. forces in Lebanon to assist Lebanese troops in their goal of stopping the weapons flow to Hezbollah.