Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  US says ceasefire is imminent in LebanonIsraeli officials have also hinted that a 60-day temporary ceasefire could soon be reached with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.© APWhite House national security spokesperson John Kirby did not release any details of the ceasefire deal and explained a deal was not sealed yet. But Kirby told reporters that negotiators have “reached this point where we’re close" to bringing an agreement over the finish line.  “We believe that the trajectory of this is going in a very positive direction,” Kirby said.  Reportedly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved a ceasefire deal in principle, and his Cabinet is set to vote on it Tuesday, though key details have yet to be worked out.  The negotiations have also reportedly included discussion about a five-nation coalition overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire deal, led by the U.S. and France.  Israel also wants to ensure that it can move into Lebanon again should Hezbollah violate the agreements of the deal, which would likely include the requirement that the militant group move its fighters and assets north of the Litani River.  At the Pentagon, deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has also been involved in the discussions around the emerging ceasefire deal.  "It's come up in calls that the secretary has done with Minister Katz and then previously with Minister Gallant," she said, referring to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.  The reported deal comes after U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has led negotiations since conflict broke out between Israeli forces and Hezbollah on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after a war began between Israel and Hamas after deadly attacks from the Palestinian militant group.  More than 3,000 have died in Lebanon since October 2023, while dozens have been killed in Israel due to near-daily rocket fire over the border from Hezbollah.  Israel began a ground operation in Lebanon in September after decimating much of the command structure of Hezbollah, but the militant group continues ambushing and firing on Israeli forces and launching rockets. United Nations senior envoy Muhannad Hadi told the Security Council that a ceasefire must be reached in Lebanon. "Regrettably, the situation remains grave across the region. Israeli military operations continued across the Blue Line with Lebanon, as did the firing of rockets by Hezbullah toward Israel, including a barrage this weekend," he said.  Read the full report at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Brad Dress — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:  Khanna says Democrats will work with Musk’s DOGE on cutting defense budgetRep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on Monday suggested that Democrats could work with tech billionaire Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) on cutting the defense budget. The issue came up during an interview Khanna gave to CNN anchor Jim Acosta, who noted the new efficiency panel. President-elect Trump named Musk and former GOP presidential primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to be the heads of the government efficiency …  Full Story  Smith moves to drop Jan. 6, classified documents cases against Trump Special counsel Jack Smith moved to dismiss both his election interference case and classified documents case against President-elect Trump, citing Department of Justice (DOJ) policy against prosecuting a sitting president.  Full Story   Estonia’s defense chief: Send Ukraine money, not foreign troopsHALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Ukraine needs money invested into its own military production industry, not foreign troops to fight its war against Russia, Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur told The Hill.   While President Biden has lifted restrictions on American military contractors traveling to Ukraine to assist in maintenance and repair of equipment, European leaders are reportedly …  Full Story  Unidentified drones reported over RAF bases used by US U.S. troops in Europe reported a swarm of unidentified drones flying over several Air Force bases in the U.K. in the past week, a sighting that comes amid a growing mystery of UFO sightings near military installations. The drones were spotted at Royal Air Force bases Lakenheath and Mildenhall in Suffolk and Feltwell in Norfolk between Wednesday and Saturday, according to a Monday statement from U.S. Air Forces in Europe. The …  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Italy and Vatican City until Wednesday, where he is meeting with foreign ministers of G7 and Pope Francis.   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill:Senate Intelligence Committee will ask Gabbard ‘lots of questions,’ Lankford says Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said Sunday that the Senate Intelligence Committee will ask President-elect Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), “lots of questions.” “We’ll have lots of questions,” Lankford said to CNN’s “State of the Union” … Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  The Brookings Institution unpacks China's economy during a 11 a.m. ET online event.  What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: China looks to Musk as conduit to Trump, seeking to ward off harsh policies (Wall Street Journal) How the Trump administration and congressional Republicans may crack down on pro-Palestinian protesters (NBC News) War in Ukraine: sending European troops under discussion (Le Monde)  Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Donald Trump won the election. Now he’s losing it. Trump was not hired to gut the Justice Department, abolish the FBI, pardon the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, weaken our intelligence agencies, eliminate … Read more ‘Politician of the Year’ for a brave stand against Donald Trump Liz Cheney has been named Politician of the Year for her principled stand against Donald Trump, which cost her power, friends, and the money that comes … Read more  Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: Trump should keep Gen. CQ Brown as chair of the Joint ChiefsTurning Israel’s military achievements into the next administration’s diplomatic victories Choosing a law enforcement professional as FBI director is beyond politics  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe