Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to agree a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon after announcing he would recommend a US-brokered deal to his Cabinet
Benjamin Netanyahu says he will recommend his Cabinet approves a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The Israeli Prime Minister made the announcement came as airstrikes pounded targets across Lebanon, leaving at least 23 people dead.
Many evacuation warnings have also been made by the Israeli military signaling an intent to intensify strikes against Hezbollah until the US-brokered ceasefire takes effect.
For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground forces advanced to parts of Lebanon’s Litani River, a key strategic area central to the proposed agreement.
In a televised address, Netanyahu confirmed he would present the ceasefire deal to cabinet ministers later today, potentially bringing an end to nearly 14 months of fighting.
Netanyahu stated that the vote was expected later on Tuesday, but the exact timing of the ceasefire’s implementation remains unclear, with the specific terms of the agreement not yet disclosed. It comes as Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of winding down.
Lebanese officials have said Hezbollah also supports the deal and should the terms be approved by all sides, the deal would be a major step toward ending the Israel-Hezbollah war that has inflamed tensions across the region. In addition to the thousands of casualties to both soldiers and civilians, the drawn-out conflict has raised fears of an even wider conflict between Israel and Hezbollah’s patron, Iran.
Few parts of the deal have been made known to the public. One section calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border.
During that time, a coalition of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides’ compliance.
It had been stated that Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations and predictably, Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. It was also reported that Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz insisted that the military would strike Hezbollah if the UN peacekeeping force doesn’t provide “effective enforcement” of the deal.
“If you don’t act, we will act, and with great force,” Katz said, speaking with UN special envoy Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert. According to the European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, the security concerns will be addressed in the French-brokered deal. “There is not an excuse for not implementing a ceasefire. Otherwise, Lebanon will fall apart,” Borrell told reporters in Italy. According to Borrell the French had been asked to participate in the cease-fire deal at the request of Lebanon.
