The Independent, Reuters, Afp, Ap and Sputnik
La Jornada Newspaper
Wednesday, November 27, 2024, p. 27
Tel Aviv. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect at 4:09 a.m. this Wednesday in Lebanon (10 p.m. yesterday in Mexico) amid hopes that the truce will permanently end more than a year of fighting in the southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Less than an hour before the ceasefire came into effect, Israel bombed southern suburbs of Beirut, shortly after the army ordered the area to be evacuated. Hours earlier, Israeli warplanes launched the most intense attack since the start of the conflict against the Lebanese capital and its suburbs. At least 24 people were killed in the offensive, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled its intention to continue attacking Hezbollah before the ceasefire became effective.
The truce, brokered by the United States, puts a stop to almost 14 months of fighting related to the war in the Gaza Strip that has left 3,823 dead and 1.2 million displaced in Lebanon. In Israel, 78 people lost their lives, 47 of them civilians, and 60,000 had to leave their homes.
There appeared to be some lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to attack Hezbollah if it believed the Lebanese group’s fighters had violated the agreement, something that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal, but that Lebanese and Israeli officials Hezbollah have rejected.
Israel’s security cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement by 10 votes to one on Tuesday night, after it was presented by Netanyahu, his office said.
The deal calls for an initial two-month pause in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of Lebanese soldiers and blue helmets of the United Nations (UN) would be deployed in the south, and an international panel led by the United States would monitor the parties’ compliance.
The mediation is based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701 that ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, and which stipulates that only the Lebanese army and peacekeepers can be deployed on Lebanon’s southern border.
Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, called the truce a historical error.
Israel appreciates the United States’ contribution to the process and reserves the right to act against any threat to its security.stated the Israeli premier’s office.
The duration of the ceasefire depends on what happens in LebanonNetanyahu said in a statement, warning: we will enforce the agreement and respond firmly to any violations.
Hours earlier, the prime minister praised the great achievements on all fronts of the war, including the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the destruction of its weapons throughout the country.
Lebanon’s interim premier, Najib Mikati, welcomed the ceasefire, describing it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people.
Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official in the group said yesterday that he had not seen the agreement in its final form.
After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a coincidence between what we declared and what was agreed upon by Lebanese officials.Mahmoud Qamati, vice president of Hezbollah’s political council, told Al Jazeera.
We want to end aggression, of course, but not at the expense of state sovereigntysaid. Any violation of sovereignty is rejected.
In any case, when the ceasefire began, there were no reports of new attacks from the belligerent sides and in some parts of Beirut there were celebrations.
The agreement reached between Israel and Hezbollah without a similar pact with Hamas in Gaza left Palestinians feeling abandoned and fearing that Israel would focus fully on its offensive on the strip.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah broke out after the unprecedented incursion launched by Hamas against Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,207 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data, including dead or captive hostages.
The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation in Gaza has left at least 44,249 dead, most of them civilians, according to data from the territory’s Ministry of Health, considered reliable by the UN.
