 "An Israeli soldier manoeuvres a tank, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, by Israel's border with Lebanon in northern Israel. Under the ceasefire, Israel will withdraw its forces from Lebanon over a period of 60 days. Reuters")
Standing in the Rose Garden of the White House, US President Joe Biden said, “I have some good news to report from the Middle East. I just spoke with the prime ministers of Israel and Lebanon and I’m pleased to announce that their governments have accepted the United States’ proposal to end the devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.”
Biden said that the ceasefire deal accepted by both sides would bring an end to the nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which has seen more than 3,500 Lebanese killed and more than 15,000 injured. The deal, according to Biden, came into effect at 4 am local time (7.30 am IST) on Wednesday.
The announcement came amid Israel’s intensive bombing in the Lebanese capital Beirut, including in heavily populated areas.
We take a closer look at what the deal involves, what it means for the conflict and what happens if the conditions of the ceasefire are violated.
What does the truce ending Israel-Hezbollah fighting include?
The deal, which came about after intense negotiations between the US, France, Israel and Lebanon, calls for a 60-day halt in fighting. A senior Lebanese official said Israel was expected to “stop carrying out any military operations against Lebanon, including civilian and military targets, and Lebanese state institutions, through land, sea and air”. On the other hand, all armed groups in Lebanon, which includes Hezbollah and its allies — would also halt operations against Israel.
The ceasefire deal also entails Hezbollah forces leaving their positions in southern Lebanon and retreating north of the Litani River, which runs around 30 km north of the border with Israel. Israel too will withdraw its forces from Lebanon over a period of 60 days.
Under the deal, thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers are to deploy to the region south of the Litani River and an international panel led by the US would monitor compliance by all sides. This is quite similar to the UN Security Council resolution 1701 , which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Under this resolution, areas south of the Litani should be free of any armed personnel or weapons other than those of the Lebanese state and the UN peacekeeping force (Unifil).
Moreover, the deal will allow the 60,000 Israeli civilians and roughly 30,000 Lebanese civilians to return to their homes and rebuild their communities on either side of the Blue Line.
Why have Israel and Lebanon agreed to the truce now?
But what made Israel and Lebanon agree to this ceasefire? Speaking to the media after the Israeli Cabinet gave their approval for the deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined three reasons why the Jewish nation agreed to the ceasefire.
“The first reason is to focus on the Iranian threat, and I won’t expand on that,” he said.
He added, “The second reason is to give our forces a breather and replenish stocks. And I say it openly, it is no secret that there have been big delays in weapons and munitions deliveries. These delays will be resolved soon. We will receive supplies of advanced weaponry that will keep our soldiers safe and give us more strike force to complete our mission.
“And the third reason for having a ceasefire is to separate the fronts and isolate Hamas. From day two of the war, Hamas was counting on Hezbollah to fight by its side. With Hezbollah out of the picture, Hamas is left on its own. We will increase our pressure on Hamas and that will help us in our sacred mission of releasing our hostages.”
And it seems that most people in Israel also agreed with the ceasefire — a survey conducted by Channel 12 TV found that 37 per cent of Israelis were in favour of the ceasefire, compared with 32 per cent against.
Meanwhile, for Lebanon, the ceasefire allows for calm in the country that has been ravaged by strikes. Israeli strikes into Lebanon have forced 1.2 million people to leave their homes. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire deal, saying it was “a fundamental step toward establishing calm and stability in Lebanon” and would help “to establish regional stability.”
How has the world reacted to the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire?
The news of the ceasefire was welcomed by leaders across the world. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the truce was welcoming news. “First and foremost for the Lebanese and Israeli people affected by the fighting. Lebanon will have an opportunity to increase internal security and stability thanks to Hezbollah’s reduced influence,” von der Leyen said.
French President Emmanuel Macron also said the deal was good news and a “culmination of efforts undertaken for many months”. “The horizon for Lebanon is that of a strong sovereign state with a monopoly on legitimate force, capable of ensuring the protection of all communities and living in peace and security with its neighbours,” he said in a video posted to X Tuesday.
UK PM Keir Starmer also weighed in, calling the truce “long overdue”. He hoped that it would provide relief to civilians in Lebanon and northern Israel. He also hoped that it would pave the way for a ceasefire deal for Gaza.
UN’s Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert welcomed the Lebanon ceasefire deal but said “considerable work lies ahead” to implement it. “Nothing less than the full and unwavering commitment of both parties is required,” she said on X.
Meanwhile, a Hezbollah official said it would wait and see before commenting on the ceasefire deal. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told Al Jazeera. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state” of Lebanon, he said.
What next?
The ceasefire deal, according to the US, would end years-long hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and restore peace in the country. The US also hopes that the ceasefire could become “a stepping stone towards getting a ceasefire deal in Gaza and bringing the hostages home”.
US President Joe Biden in his remarks said that Palestinians in Gaza deserve a similar end to conflict. “The people of Gaza have been through hell, their worlds absolutely shattered, far too many civilians in Gaza have suffered far too much,” Biden said.
A US official further added that the ceasefire provides the opportunity for Lebanon to re-establish its sovereignty over its own territory.
One other US official told CNN that the ceasefire deal would “send a signal to Hamas” that Israel and its partners will do their utmost to secure an agreement that brings back hostages held in Gaza.
However, analysts don’t think that Gaza will see any respite from the Lebanon deal. HA Hellyer, a senior associate fellow in security studies at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, told CNN that the ceasefire “means nothing for Gaza”.
What happens if the ceasefire is violated?
In making the announcement of the ceasefire, Joe Biden said that the agreement was “designed to be a permanent ceasefire”.
But what happens if either side violates it? Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu said that his country would respond forcefully to any ceasefire violation by Hezbollah, saying Israel would retain “complete military freedom of action”.
“If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.”
US President Joe Biden also noted that “if Hezbollah or anyone else breaks the deal and poses a direct threat to Israel, then Israel retains the right to self-defence consistent with international law”.
With inputs from agencies