A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah could see the terrorist organization and Israeli forces withdraw their troops from southern Lebanon.
The deal, which reportedly has the support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, could end the nearly two-month Israeli incursion into Lebanon.
A source within Netanyahu’s government said the daily telegraph that the Israeli cabinet will vote on the proposals prepared by the United States today.
This new ceasefire proposal, based largely on a UN Security Council resolution, says that Israel must withdraw its forces from Lebanon, while Hezbollah must withdraw its forces from the south of the country.
If it backs the deal, Israel is expected to receive assurances from the United States that it can act against violations of the deal as long as it is coordinated with Washington.
At the same time, a US oversight committee will be in charge of monitoring Hezbollah’s activities in Lebanon.
The Lebanese government has expressed support for the agreement but has opposed any future violations of its sovereignty.
It is within Israel where opposition to the proposal is most potent: far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the deal “a big mistake.”
The deal, which reportedly has the support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, could end the nearly two-month Israeli incursion into Lebanon.
Hezbollah fighters. This new ceasefire proposal, based largely on a UN Security Council resolution, says that Israel must withdraw its forces from Lebanon, while Hezbollah must withdraw its forces from the south of the country.
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh in Beirut, Lebanon, on November 25. To date, the Lebanese Ministry of Health estimates that at least 3,754 people have died in the country since October 2023, most of them since September.
Others have opposed France’s involvement in negotiating the deal after Paris threatened to arrest Netanyahu if he visited France.
This follows the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Netanyahu.
Israeli media have reported that the ceasefire would be the first step in the peace deal which, if successful, could allow the start of negotiations over the long-disputed land border.
It calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River.
The United States is leading diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in Lebanon, where in late September Israel stepped up its air campaign and launched a ground offensive in the south after nearly a year of cross-border fire with Hezbollah.
To date, the Lebanese Ministry of Health estimates that at least 3,754 people have died in the country since October 2023, most of them since September.
On the Israeli side, 82 soldiers and 47 civilians have died in 13 months.
Israel has sought to expel Hezbollah from its strongholds in southern Lebanon and the suburbs of Beirut, with some 60,000 people displaced from northern Israel by the conflict.
It is within Israel where opposition to the proposal is most potent, with far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (pictured) calling the deal “a big mistake”.
Joe Biden with Netanyahu. The United States is leading diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in Lebanon, where in late September Israel stepped up its air campaign and launched a ground offensive in the south after nearly a year of cross-border fire with Hezbollah.
Damaged buildings in Gaza. Currently, no agreement has been reached to end the war between Israel and Hamas, which have struggled to make little to no progress. Earlier this month, Qatar suspended its work as a mediator in ceasefire and hostage release talks between the two.
In recent months, his army has killed almost all of the group’s leaders. But international pressure is mounting amid fears the conflict could escalate into a regional war.
The withdrawals would be accompanied by an influx of thousands more Lebanese army troops, who have been largely sidelined during the war, to patrol the border area alongside an existing UN peacekeeping force.
The agreement echoes existing Resolution 1701, which critics say did little to keep Hezbollah at bay.
Hezbollah never ended its presence in southern Lebanon, while Lebanon says Israel regularly violated its airspace and occupied small areas of its territory.
Since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, Hezbollah has fired at least 13,000 missiles and drones at Israel, killing 75 people.
Currently, no agreement has been reached to end the war between Israel and Hamas, which have struggled to make little to no progress. Earlier this month, Qatar suspended its work as a mediator in ceasefire and hostage release talks between the two.
This follows reports that US officials allegedly said they would no longer accept the presence of Hamas representatives at the talks, while accusing the group of rejecting new proposals to end the war.
Since the conflict began, more than 43,000 Palestinians and 1,706 Israelis have died.