Israel’s security cabinet is set to convene on Tuesday to discuss and likely approve a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, according to officials. The agreement, brokered with significant progress reported by the US and French governments, is expected to be announced by President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The proposed ceasefire includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese army in the area, and the removal of Hezbollah’s armed presence south of the Litani River within 60 days. While the agreement has already been approved in Beirut, Lebanese officials caution that final implementation depends on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval.
In Washington, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday, “We’re close” but “nothing is done until everything is done”.
As talks advance, violence continues to escalate. Israeli airstrikes targeted Hezbollah-controlled suburbs of Beirut, while Hezbollah launched one of its heaviest rocket barrages yet, firing 250 rockets on Sunday.
The widespread destruction left by Israeli airstrikes has brought into focus a huge reconstruction billawaiting cash-strapped Lebanon, with more than 1 million people displaced and many left homeless heading into winter.
For Israel, the ceasefire could allow 60,000 displaced residents in the north to return home after evacuations prompted by Hezbollah’s rocket fire in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas a day after that group’s Oct. 7, 2023 assault. However, Israeli officials insist on maintaining the right to strike southern Lebanon under any agreement, a point of contention with Lebanon.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, more than 3,750 people have been killed in Lebanon, while Israeli authorities report 45 civilian deaths and 73 military casualties in northern Israel, the Golan Heights, and southern Lebanon. The heavy toll underscores the urgent need for a resolution.
The ceasefire is based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. However, US officials are exploring the possibility of using the agreement as leverage to address the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Brett McGurk, US Middle East envoy, is set to discuss this potential in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
While both sides appear weary of the prolonged conflict, skepticism remains. Senior Hezbollah official Mohammad Raad expressed doubt that Israel would fully adhere to any ceasefire terms without external pressure or military action.
Writing in a Lebanese newspaper on Tuesday, he said it was unlikely Israel would “accept any talk about halting its aggression against Lebanon without pressure or without exhausting the option of using force on the ground”.
“However, we will wait and see the results of the indirect negotiations,” he wrote.
Two Israeli officials said that Israel has a side agreement with the US allowing it to take action in Lebanon against “imminent threats.”
The international community watches closely as efforts intensify to end one of the region’s most volatile conflicts, with the potential to reshape dynamics across the Middle East.
Melissa Enoch
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