Dubai: Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with Lebanon, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah that has killed thousands of people since it was ignited by the Gaza war last year.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was ready to implement the ceasefire deal with Lebanon and would respond forcefully to any violation by Hezbollah, declaring Israel would retain “complete military freedom of action”.
In a television address, Netanyahu said he would put the ceasefire accord to his full cabinet later in the evening. Israeli TV reported that the more restricted security cabinet had earlier approved the deal.
Netanyahu said the ‘ceasefire duration depends on what happens in Lebanon’ and that Israel ‘will intensify’ pressure on Hamas in Gaza.
He also said Israel will maintain ‘full’ freedom to act in Lebanon and the truce will allow Israel to ‘focus on Iranian threat’.
Ahead of the announcement, waves of strikes pounded Hezbollah’s south Beirut stronghold after a flurry of Israeli evacuation warnings, AFPTV footage showed, in the heaviest raids since Israel’s air campaign escalated.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati demanded in a statement on Tuesday that the international community “act swiftly” to halt Israeli aggression “and implement an immediate ceasefire”.
60-day ceasefire
The US-proposed ceasefire suggested a 60-day ceasefire, effective immediately, pending Hezbollah’s consent.
In Italy, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the ceasefire could help end the Gaza conflict by preventing Hezbollah’s involvement in the broader war.
The Lebanese army will deploy more forces in the south of the country to beef up a contingent of United Nations peacekeepers, helping to ensure the militant group doesn’t operate there.
The Israel Defence Forces earlier said its troops had reached the Litani, about two months after they began a ground incursion of Lebanon.
The deal does not affect Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending.
Lebanon says at least 3,799 people have been killed in the country since October 2023, most of them in the past several weeks.
On the Israeli side, the hostilities with Hezbollah have killed at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians, authorities say.
• Transitional period: Over a 60-day period, the Israel Defence Forces will withdraw from southern Lebanon. Concurrently, the Lebanese Army will deploy to areas near the border to ensure control and maintain security.
• Hezbollah’s relocation: Hezbollah is required to move its heavy weaponry north of the Litani River, distancing its military presence from the border zone.
• International oversight: A US-led international monitoring committee will oversee the implementation of the agreement and address any violations.
• US guarantees to Israel: The United States has provided assurances to support Israel against threats originating from Lebanese territory.
