Israel and Hezbollah agree to ceasefire in Lebanon, US says
Israel’s prime minister said he asked ministers to approve a ceasefire deal to end the current war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
He said in a televised address that Israel would “respond forcefully to any violation.”
Since October 2023, Iranian-backed armed groups and Israel have been engaged in almost daily cross-border exchanges of fire. But fighting escalated in late September as Israel stepped up aerial bombardments and launched a limited ground invasion.
The conflict, Lebanon’s worst in decades, has killed more than 3,823 people since last year, according to local data.
Netanyahu said how long the ceasefire lasts will depend on what happens in Lebanon.
“We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violations. We will continue to stand united until victory,” he said.
He also said that ending the fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon would allow Israel to increase pressure on Hamas in Gaza and focus on the “Iranian threat.”
“When Hezbollah withdraws, Hamas will fight alone. Our pressure on it will increase,” Netanyahu said.
France has administered Lebanon for more than 20 years in the last century and is a long-time ally of Lebanon and is expected to participate in armistice supervision.
BBC US partner CBS said a 60-day ceasefire would be implemented immediately, during which time Israeli troops and Hezbollah forces would withdraw from southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah fighters and weapons will be withdrawn south of the Litani River – the border established in 2006 during Israel’s last war with Hezbollah.
On Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces launched another airstrike in the Lebanese capital Beirut, killing at least seven people.
Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah, listed as a terrorist organization by Israel and many Western countries, comes after the war in Gaza sparked nearly a year of cross-border fighting.
The group said it wanted to ensure the safe return of some 60,000 residents of northern Israel displaced by rocket attacks. Hezbollah launched the rocket attack in support of the Palestinians a day after its ally Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The war was devastating for Lebanon. In addition to 3,823 deaths and 15,859 injuries, 1 million residents of Hezbollah-controlled areas in Lebanon were displaced.
The World Bank estimates economic loss and damage at $8.5 billion (£6.8 billion). Recovery will take time, and no one seems to know who will pay the price.
Hezbollah was also disrupted. Many leaders were killed, including long-time sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, and its infrastructure was severely damaged.
What happened after the war ended remains unclear. The organization has been severely weakened and some would say humiliated, but it has not been destroyed.
In Lebanon, it is more than just a militia: it is a political party with representation in parliament and a social organization with strong support from Shia Muslims.
Opponents of Hezbollah may see this as an opportunity to limit its influence – before the conflict, Hezbollah was often described in Lebanon as a “state within a state” – and many fear it could lead to internal violence.
