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Israel has agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire deal with Lebanon’s Hezbollah which got into effect from early Wednesday (Israel time). Hezbollah leaders also indicated preliminary support for the agreement, which presents a potential exit strategy for both parties from the ongoing conflict.
The agreement calls for a 60-day ceasefire, with Israeli troops retreating and Hezbollah withdrawing from southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Israel has insisted on the right to act if Hezbollah violates the deal, Lebanon has opposed this provision.
The conflict between the two has displaced over 1.2 million Lebanese and 50,000 Israelis. Meanwhile, Israel’s heavy bombing campaign has resulted in more than 3,700 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Lebanese officials, while over 130 have been killed on the Israeli side.
Key terms of the deal:
- The agreement is said to outline a 60-day ceasefire, during which Israeli forces would pull back to their side of the border, and Hezbollah would cease its military presence across much of southern Lebanon.
- The deal got into effect from Wednesday (local time).
- The agreement stipulates the deployment of thousands of Lebanese soldiers and UN peacekeepers to the area south of the Litani River.
- An international monitoring group, headed by the US, will oversee compliance from all parties. President Biden stated that the deal aims to achieve a lasting end to hostilities.
- Israel has insisted on the right to take action if Hezbollah breaches its commitments, a provision that Lebanese officials have opposed including in the agreement.
How US and UK view the deal?
US President and UK PM have both hailed the ceasefire deal with Joe Biden calling it a “good news” and Keir Starmer highlighting it that it was “long overdue.”
“I just spoke with the prime ministers of Israel and Lebanon and I’m pleased to announce that their governments have accepted the United States’ proposal to end the devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah,” Biden said.
“We must see immediate progress towards a ceasefire deal in Gaza, the release of all hostages and the removal of restrictions on desperately needed humanitarian aid,” Starmer said in a statement.
What Hezbollah said about the deal?
A Hezbollah leader said that the group’s support for the deal depends on assurances that Israel will not resume its attacks.
“After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told Al Jazeera.
“We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state” of Lebanon, he added.
What does the deal say on Gaza?
The agreement does little to address the deadly conflict in Gaza. The war, which began after the Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people, continues to rage on without a direct resolution from the agreement.
Hezbollah has previously maintained that it would only cease its attacks on Israel if Israel stopped its military actions in Gaza. Some in the region may see any agreement between the Lebanese group and Israel as a form of surrender.
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