It’s finally happening! Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon, an agreement which took effect on Wednesday. This comes a few days after the ICC issues an arrest warrant against Prime minister Benjamin NETANYAHU and co. The ceasefire entails key details as stated in this report.
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon initiated a ceasefire on Wednesday, ending the over a year of intense fighting that brought the region on a brink of destabilization.
This comes after the Israel’s security Cabinet approved the ceasefire brokered by the United States and France, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasizing that a cessation of hostilities with Hezbollah would serve to isolate Hamas in Gaza.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli forces have killed over 3,700 people during the war, and forced around 1.2 million Lebanese people to flee their homes, with Israeli airstrikes levelling building in Beirut and the southern suburbs.
As it stands, no immediate violations of the ceasefire have been reported thus far.
The ceasefire agreement, which took effect at 4 AM on Wednesday, stipulates an initial two-month cessation of hostilities, with key provisions requiring Hezbollah to withdraw its armed presence from southern Lebanon and Israeli troops to retreat to their designated side of the border.
The agreement also mandates the deployment of thousands of additional Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers in the southern region, while an international panel led by the United States will oversee compliance efforts.
Hezbollah is obligated under the deal to relocate its forces north of the Litani River, situated around 30 kilometers north of the border. Netanyahu warned that any breach of the ceasefire by Hezbollah would be met with swift and robust military response.
On the other hand, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire as a pivotal step towards achieving stability and facilitating the safe return of displaced individuals.
The killing of Iranian and Hezbollah commanders over the past months has triggered retaliatory drone attacks by Iran on Israel in April and October. Israel responded to both attacks with airstrikes. With World leaders warning of the danger of further Israeli-Iranain escalation driving the Middle East, experts wonder why this coming now amid the pending ICC arrest warrant on Benjamin NETANYAHU and former Israeli defense minister.
