Israel and Hezbollah Reportedly Near Ceasefire Agreement for Lebanon

Israeli and Lebanese authorities seem on the verge of a ceasefire agreement, with Israeli and US officials indicating that the Israeli cabinet is scheduled to convene on Tuesday to deliberate on the matter. A temporary cessation of hostilities, spanning 60 days, has been put forward to halt the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian-supported Lebanese militia. Reports suggest this agreement encompasses the pullout of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and the cessation of Hezbollah’s presence in that region. John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council, stated, “We believe we’ve reached this point where we’re close.” However, he cautioned, “We’re not there yet.” Both the United States and France, a longstanding ally of Lebanon, have participated in efforts to secure a ceasefire. A surge in crossfire has been observed between Israel and Hezbollah, occurring precisely as both parties negotiate the agreement’s concluding specifics. On Sunday, approximately 250 projectiles were launched into Israel from Lebanon, with the majority being intercepted, concurrently with the Israeli Air Force’s ongoing aerial bombardments targeting suspected Hezbollah locations and armaments depots in Beirut and other areas. The proposed agreement would involve an augmented deployment of the Lebanese army in the territory evacuated by both Israel and Hezbollah, as stated by a Western diplomat speaking anonymously. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly assented to the deal “in principle,” and Lebanese deputy parliament speaker Elias Bou Saab, cited by Reuters, declared that currently there were “no serious obstacles” impeding a ceasefire. A significant point of contention concerning the monitoring of the truce has been settled, he indicated, through the establishment of a five-nation committee, which includes France and is presided over by the US. Another factor delaying the agreement has been Israel’s demand for its prerogative to re-enter Lebanon and undertake any military operations deemed essential if it perceives Hezbollah relocating into southern Lebanon, specifically south of the Litani River, or preparing to initiate an assault on Israel. This unrestricted movement was unacceptable to both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government; however, Amos Hochstein, the US envoy, is understood to have conveyed, during his diplomatic missions between the two nations, that this ceasefire agreement had a specific duration. Apprehensions regarding the enforcement mechanisms of a ceasefire, considering the relative limitations of both the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) and the Lebanese Army, seem to have been alleviated. Nevertheless, an internal Israeli element remains. Itamar Ben Gvir, the hard-right National Security Minister, has utilized social media platforms to express his disapproval of a ceasefire agreement, labeling it “a grave mistake.” He asserted that the current moment, with Hezbollah militarily disadvantaged, presented “a historic opportunity” for its destruction. The conflict commenced on 8 October last year, when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. Israel’s declared objective in its conflict with Hezbollah, which escalated in September, is to facilitate the repatriation of approximately 60,000 inhabitants displaced from northern Israeli communities due to the group’s assaults. At that point, a significant offensive was initiated against the militia, resulting in the destruction of a substantial portion of its infrastructure and weaponry, and the deaths of its leader Hassan Nasrallah and other prominent individuals. Lebanese officials have indicated that any ceasefire agreement ought to adhere strictly to the provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which concluded the 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. This resolution mandates the removal of Hezbollah’s combatants and armaments from territories situated between the Blue Line, which serves as the unofficial demarcation between Lebanon and Israel, and the Litani River, approximately 30km (20 miles) from the Israeli border. Israel asserts that these terms were never entirely observed, whereas Lebanon contends that Israeli transgressions involved military overflights of Lebanese airspace. According to Lebanese authorities, over 3,750 individuals have died and at least 15,600 have been wounded in Lebanon since October 2023, with more than one million displaced from their residences. Israel’s police reported that multiple individuals sustained injuries and structures incurred damage during Hezbollah’s Sunday assaults on northern and central Israel, including some locations close to Tel Aviv. These attacks occurred subsequent to an Israeli air strike on central Beirut on Saturday, which the Lebanese health ministry stated resulted in the deaths of 29 people. On Monday, hostilities persisted, with Lebanon’s health ministry reporting, via news agency AFP, that Israeli air strikes claimed the lives of at least 31 individuals. Israel also conducted several assaults on Beirut’s southern districts, asserting that its targets were structures associated with Hezbollah. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.