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28-11-2024
BEIRUT/ JERUSALEM: US President Joe Biden has announced a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah.
The deal will take effect from 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT) Wednesday, according to Biden.
Earlier, Israel launched extensive air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs after its military issued evacuation orders in the area.
Cross-border fire is ongoing despite the ceasefire approaching. Hezbollah says it launched drones towards Israel on Tuesday night, while Israel’s army issued more evacuation orders for parts of Beirut.
Israeli troops began a land invasion of Lebanon almost two months ago, in response to almost a year of rocket attacks from Hezbollah.
A ceasefire in Lebanon would not directly affect Israel’s war in Gaza.
An official from US President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign has said the peace deal reached under the outgoing administration of Joe Biden was spurred by Trump’s election victory this month.
“President Trump rightfully predicted that actors in the region would make moves toward peace because of his historic victory – and that’s exactly what we are seeing take place,” the official says.
Trump, the official adds, “has been crystal clear that his support for Israel” is steadfast, as is his “commitment to peace in the Middle East”.
He adds that “Iran-backed proxies clearly see the clock ticking” as Trump will return to power in January “with a strong national security team”.
Under the deal, thousands of Lebanese soldiers will be deployed to the south, after the withdrawal of Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters. How they will be deployed remains unclear. The military has complained that they do not have the resources money, manpower and equipment to fulfil their obligations but it is not only about funding, which will probably come from some of Lebanon’s international allies. Will the Lebanese military confront Hezbollah if needed?
That would set Lebanese against Lebanese, which is always a risk in a country where sectarian divisions run deep.
Lebanese authorities seem to have accepted that things must change, a diplomat told me. It appears there is the political will to do so.
The Syrian Red Crescent says one of its volunteers has been killed and others have been injured in an apparent military strike near the Lebanon border early Wednesday morning local time.
The humanitarian organization says the volunteers were “rescuing the wounded” when the “aggression” happened. Several ambulances were also damaged in the blast, which occurred near the Al-Dabousyeh and Al-Arida crossings between Syria and Lebanon, the Syrian Red Crescent says.
The organization called on “all sides to respect international humanitarian law” and “protect” workers.
The plan sets out a “phased withdrawal” of Israeli troops from Lebanon over the course of the next 60 days.
The Lebanese military will help patrol the area around the Blue Line as the Israeli military moves south and Hezbollah moves north.
The United States and France will join the existing tripartite mechanism which currently includes the Lebanese military, the Israeli military and the United Nations. Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) to help enforce the agreement in this area.
All complaints of potential violations of the ceasefire agreement will be directed to the United States. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
