Israel has pushed Hezbollah 'decades back', says Netanyahu as ceasefire deal with Lebanon sealed

As Israel reportedly reached a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, paving the way to end the conflict with Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said that Hezbollah is “not the same Hezbollah anymore” and that Israel has pushed the group “decades back”.

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 Hassan Nasrallah, “the head of the snake”, has been killed as has “all of the leaders” of Hezbollah.

“We’ve destroyed most of the rockets and missiles. We’ve killed thousands of terrorists, and we destroyed the underground and terrorist infrastructure near our borders,” said Netanyahu, adding, all of this “sounded like science fiction”  just three months ago, but “we made it.”

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Netanyahu said he is “determined” to keep Israel’s soldiers alive and safe.

“That’s why tonight, I will bring before the full cabinet a plan for a ceasefire in Lebanon,” he said.

Netanyahu said the duration of the ceasefire “depends on what happens in Lebanon”.

He said Israel has an “understanding” with the US, and that it will maintain its “full liberty to take military operations if Hezbollah tries to attack us”.

“If Hezbollah tries to attack us, if it arms itself and rebuilds infrastructure near the border – we will attack. If they launch missiles, if they dig big tunnels – we will attack,” said the Israeli PM.

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With Israeli approval, the agreement is set to lead to an official ceasefire declaration by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, Reuters quoted a senior Lebanese officials as saying.

However, despite the diplomatic progress, hostilities continued as Israel significantly increased its airstrike campaign across Beirut and other areas of Lebanon.

There was no indication that a truce in Lebanon would hasten a ceasefire and hostage-release deal in devastated Gaza, where Israel is battling Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Lebanon ceasefire agreement requires Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon and Lebanon’s army to deploy in the region, officials say. Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the border south of the Litani River.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said the Lebanese army would be ready to have at least 5,000 troops deployed in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops withdraw, and that the United States could play a role in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by Israeli strikes.

Israel demands effective UN enforcement of an eventual ceasefire with Lebanon and will show “zero tolerance” toward any infraction, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday.

In the hours before the announcement, Israeli strikes smashed more of Beirut’s densely-populated southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. The Israeli military said one barrage of strikes had hit 20 targets in the city in just 120 seconds, killing at least seven people and injuring 37, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

Israel issued its biggest evacuation warning yet, telling civilians to leave 20 locations. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the air force was conducting a “widespread attack” on Hezbollah targets across the city.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah has kept up rocket fire into Israel.

The UN rights chief voiced concern about the escalation of bloodshed in Lebanon and his office said nearly 100 people had been reported killed by Israeli airstrikes in recent days, including women, children and medics.

Israel has dealt Hezbollah massive blows since going on the offensive against the group in September, killing its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and other top commanders, and pounding areas of Lebanon where the group holds sway.

Over the past year, more than 3,750 people have been killed in Lebanon and over one million have been forced from their homes, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures.

Hezbollah strikes have killed 45 civilians in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. At least 73 Israeli soldiers have been killed in northern Israel, the Golan Heights and in combat in southern Lebanon, according to Israeli authorities.

With inputs from agencies