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Netanyahu Backs Cease-Fire Amid Ongoing Tensions
Clear Facts
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly supported a cease-fire agreement with Hezbollah, brokered by the U.S. and France, to end over a year of conflict.
- The proposed cease-fire requires Hezbollah to move its forces north of the Litani River, while Israeli forces are to withdraw from southern Lebanon.
- Netanyahu emphasized the cease-fire’s importance for focusing on the Iranian threat, refreshing Israeli forces, and isolating Hamas from the northern front.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced his support for a cease-fire agreement with Hezbollah, a move aimed at ending the prolonged conflict that has lasted nearly 14 months. This agreement, facilitated by the United States and France, is yet to receive formal approval from Netanyahu’s cabinet.
During a press conference held amidst ongoing deliberations, Netanyahu outlined three key reasons for endorsing the cease-fire. He emphasized the need to concentrate on the Iranian threat, provide a chance to rejuvenate Israeli forces, and strategically separate Hamas from the northern front.
Netanyahu stated that by resolving the conflict with Hezbollah, Hamas would be left isolated, thus enabling Israeli forces to focus on recovering the hostages taken on October 7.
He assured that the agreement would be presented to the Cabinet for a vote later that day.
“How long it will be will depends on what will happen in Lebanon,” Netanyahu remarked, adding a stern warning: “If Hezbollah doesn’t follow the agreement, we’ll attack.”
The cease-fire terms propose that Hezbollah relocate its forces north of the Litani River, a significant strategic point, while Israeli forces would withdraw from southern Lebanon. The Lebanese armed forces are expected to be deployed to the border region within 60 days.
A five-country committee, chaired by the U.S. and including France, will oversee the compliance of the agreement’s terms. Additionally, a peacekeeping mission by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon will continue its operations.
One of the unresolved issues is Israel’s insistence on maintaining the right to take military action if Hezbollah fails to adhere to its commitments under the agreement.
Earlier, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that its ground troops had reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River, a known Hezbollah stronghold. The IDF disclosed that its troops had conducted operations in the Wadi Slouqi area, uncovering and confiscating numerous weapons, dismantling underground facilities, and neutralizing rocket launchers.
“The soldiers raided several terrorist targets, engaged in close-quarters combat with terrorists, located and destroyed dozens of launchers, thousands of rockets and missiles, and weapons storage facilities hidden in the mountainside,” the IDF stated.
The conflict with Hezbollah began on October 8, 2023, following an attack by Hamas terrorists that resulted in over 1,200 deaths and more than 250 hostages taken into Gaza. This led to intensified Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground incursion into the country’s south.
The ongoing hostilities have displaced over 68,000 Israelis from their homes along the Lebanese border.
In a recent development, an Israeli airstrike demolished a residential building in Beirut’s Basta district, marking the second such incident in the area. The Israeli military has also issued warnings for evacuations of 20 more buildings in Hezbollah-controlled suburbs of Beirut.
On the international front, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, speaking at a Group of Seven meeting in Italy, urged Israel to agree to the cease-fire, warning that without it, “Lebanon will fall apart.”
Minister of Defense Israel Katz, in a meeting with the U.N. Special Envoy for Lebanon, reiterated Israel’s stance of “Zero tolerance” for any violations of the truce, asserting, “If you don’t do it, we will … and with great force.”
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