Israel and Lebanon near crucial ceasefire deal approval
Israel and Lebanon are close to reaching a ceasefire agreement, although formal approval has not yet been secured, reports Axios, citing sources in the U.S. government.
2:19 PM EST, November 25, 2024
A senior U.S. government official informed Axios that Israel and Lebanon are nearing an agreement, a claim also confirmed by Israeli representatives. However, it was emphasized that formal approval has not yet been given.
The ceasefire is expected to be adopted by the Israeli security cabinet during Tuesday's meeting. However, as an Axios source points out, until then, "things can always go wrong." Israeli media also report that both countries have agreed on the key points, and the deal is close to being approved.
David Mencer, a government spokesman in Jerusalem, noted that "we are heading towards an agreement, but there are still a few issues to resolve." Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Michael Hercog, added that "the agreement could be reached in the coming days."
The US plan and Hezbollah's role
The American proposal is based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701 from 2006, which ended the previous conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The document includes, among other provisions, the withdrawal of Hezbollah from southern Lebanon. The U.S. plan outlines several stages: cessation of hostilities, Hezbollah's withdrawal to the north of the country, Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon, and negotiations regarding the border between Israel and Lebanon.
The agreement also includes measures to strengthen the Lebanese army, which would take control of the country's south. An international body, overseen by the U.S., would be created to supervise the entire process. Israel would receive a guarantee from the United States that, in case of a threat, it could carry out an intervention against terrorist groups in Lebanon.
Negotiations and Hezbollah's change of stance
Hezbollah leader Naim Kasem announced that his organization has responded to the American proposal and is waiting for Israel's move. Negotiations in Beirut and Jerusalem were led by President Joe Biden's envoy, Amos Hochstein. According to the "Times of Israel," Hochstein warned that this is the last chance to finalize the truce, and the Biden administration will not conduct further negotiations after January.
The most significant achievement of the negotiations is the change in Hezbollah's stance, as it no longer demands linking the ceasefire in Lebanon with a halt to hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah began shelling Israel following the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip in the fall of last year. Israel has been conducting air raids on Lebanon and a ground operation in the south of the country for two months, aiming to eliminate the threat from Hezbollah.
