Hezbollah leader agreed to cease-fire before Israel assassinated him: Lebanese foreign minister

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah had agreed to a cease-fire with Israel shortly before he was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon's foreign minister said Wednesday.

"He agreed. Yes, the Lebanese side agreed," Abdallah Bouhabib told CNN.

"We consulted with Hezbollah, (Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih) Berri consulted with Hezbollah, and we informed US and French representatives (about the decision)," he added.

"The US and France told us that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also agreed on the statement that was issued by (US President) Joe Biden and (French President) Emmanuel Macron."

A joint statement released on Sept. 24 by 12 countries and organizations, including the US and France, called for a temporary cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah to facilitate diplomatic efforts.

Nasrallah was assassinated by Israeli airstrikes that targeted a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sept. 27.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 41,700 people, most of them women and children, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.