LIVE – Updated at 12:24

Israel airstrikes in southern Beirut have demolished sections of Hezbollah-controlled suburbs as the militant group also kept up rocket fire into Israel ahead of an impending ceasefire deal.

Israel is poised to approve a ceasefire plan with Iran-backed Hezbollah, which could pave the way for an end to the broader conflict that has enguled the region for more than a year.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will chair a security council meeting later today, where he is facing international pressure to agree to a deal that has already won Lebanese support.

The Shia militia and Israel have exchanged near-daily rocket fire across the southern Lebanon border since Hamas launched its cross-border attack into southern Israel on 7 October last year.

International pressure is mounting on Mr Netanyahu to accept the terms of the deal, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell saying Israel has no excuse for not implementing the agreement, while Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir has warned a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah is a “big mistake”.

Israel’s deputy foreign minister says ICC warrant encourages evil

12:24 , Angus Thompson

Israel’s deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel has slammed the recent arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a political decision that only serves the interests of Israel’s enemies.

In a broadcast speech, Ms Haskel said the warrant “deprived the most threatened country in the world” of its right to defend itself.

“Israel has been attak from six different fronts from a few countries that are surrounding it and are far away,” she said, adding the ICC has made itself a “vessel” at the disposal of extremist groups.

“From a political perspective, it actually encourages the axis of evil.”

She said the fact that both Hamas and Iran congratulated the issuing of the warrant, which also targeted Mr Netanyahu’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes in Gaza.