Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah began observing a truce on Wednesday, a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting as the region on the brink of war wondered whether it would be honoured.
US President Joe Biden said the truce agreement between Israel and Hezbollah would begin on November 27 at 04.00 a.m. local time in Israel and Lebanon.
The terms of the deal stipulate that Israel Defence Forces (IDF) units will leave Lebanon within the next 60 days. Washington and Paris will work to ensure the “full realisation of the ceasefire,” Reuters noted, citing a joint statement by the French and US presidents.
Netanyahu reserves Israel’s “right to act”
Reports of the truce were confirmed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ten out of 11 members of Israel’s Security Cabinet voted in favour of the deal with the Lebanese group, the politician wrote on social network X.
Netanyahu thanked the US for its “contribution to the process” but pointed out that Israel retains “its right to act against any threat to its security” and “freedom to secure” a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. Against the backdrop of the deal, the Israeli Prime Minister also promised the country’s citizens that Israel would resume fighting in Lebanon if Hezbollah armed itself or rebuilt its infrastructure near the border.
At the same time, the US will co-operate with the Lebanese army to guarantee that potential violations are prevented. Washington will also join a regional military technical committee that will provide equipment, training and financial support to the Lebanese armed forces.
Military conflict in Lebanon
Israel’s ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon began on October 1. It was preceded by a massive bombing of pagers of the terrorist group’s militants in mid-September, carried out by Israeli intelligence services, and subsequent shelling of the sides, during which Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Beirut on September 27.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health, meanwhile, reported 1,974 civilians killed and some 9,384 wounded in IDF shelling in the first ten days of fighting alone.
The escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah came against the backdrop of the Lebanese military group supporting Hamas’ massive attack on Israel on October 7 2023. Following these events and the start of the IDF’s retaliatory military operation in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah began regularly shelling Israel from Lebanon. Hezbollah launched one of the last major such attacks on 24 November.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed (LFI), wrote on X:
“The ceasefire agreement in Lebanon is designed to interrupt the martyrdom of the Lebanese. France must help the Lebanese national army to regain its strength so that it can fulfil its part of the agreement and include in its ranks all those who want to guarantee the sovereignty of their country.”
