Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supports the American proposal for a ceasefire in the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon and will recommend to his government to accept this agreement. This announcement was criticized by other Israeli politicians, including within the governing coalition itself. US President Joe Biden announced that the agreement will come into force at 4 am on Wednesday and aims to end the conflict completely.
The details of the agreement have not yet been officially disclosed.
Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and controls southern Lebanon, began shelling Israel regularly last fall after the war broke out in Gaza. Israel is responding with heavy retaliatory strikes and has been conducting extensive airstrikes in Lebanon and ground operations in southern Lebanon for nearly two months.
In a televised speech after a security cabinet meeting, the prime minister said the length of the ceasefire was dependent on “developments in Lebanon” and that Israel would “preserve full freedom of action against Hezbollah in consultation with the US”. “We will attack Hezbollah if it violates the agreement and tries to rearm itself, rebuild terrorist infrastructure on the border, or bombard Israel,” Netanyahu said.
Binyamin Netanyahu Fatih Aktas/Abaka/PAP
Netanyahu: There are three reasons why this is a favorable solution for Israel
The Prime Minister noted that there are three reasons why the ceasefire is beneficial for Israel. He was the first to mention the need to focus on the Iranian threat. The second is to allow the rest of the soldiers and the need to replenish the combat reserves. Third, separating the fighting in the north of the country from the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip in the south.
Netanyahu stressed that without Hezbollah, Hamas will be left alone and our pressure will increase, which will allow the hostages held in the Gaza Strip to be released.
“Historical mistake”. Critical voices of Israeli politicians
Israel's Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir explained the ceasefire announcement. He said it was a “historic mistake”.
Ben Gwir wrote on social media: “This is not a ceasefire, this is a return to the strategy of concessions, which means 'eventually we will have to go back to Lebanon'.” However, the leader of the extremist party “Jewish Power” has not announced that his party will withdraw from the ruling coalition due to the agreement. Opposition politicians are also criticizing the ceasefire. “Netanyahu repeated that he will continue the war until complete victory. He just did not say which side will win,” said Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the right-wing opposition party “Our Home Israel”.
Beni Ganch, who also heads the centrist National Unity coalition, has previously warned that a ceasefire would be a “halfway stop”. According to him, this agreement can eliminate the progress of the army so far and give Hezbollah a chance to revive its forces.
The deal was also heavily criticized by local government representatives in northern Israel, where some 60,000 people were evacuated due to Hezbollah shelling. people Local government officials fear that the agreement will not adequately protect residents of the north from possible further attacks.
Yair Golan, head of the left-wing coalition of Democrats, and Yair Lapid, leader of the liberal Future Party, criticized the prime minister for his inaction on the Gaza ceasefire and called on him to accept a ceasefire deal with Hamas. as soon as possible to release the hostages still held.
BIDEN: It should be a permanent cessation of hostilities
Joe Biden, the President of the United States, also commented on the ceasefire announcement.
– I am pleased to announce that the governments of these countries (Israel and Lebanon – ed.) have accepted the proposal of the United States, which aims to end the destructive conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, – he said during a speech in the Rose Garden of the White House. As he informed, according to the agreement made with the help of France, the war will end at 4 o'clock in the morning on Wednesday. – This should be a permanent cessation of hostilities. He said the remnants of Hezbollah could not pose a security threat again in the next 60 days, and that the Lebanese army and security forces would be mobilized to retake control of their territory. He also announced that in the coming days, together with Turkey, Qatar and Egypt, he plans to resume efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Border between Israel and Lebanon PAP – Michal Chernek
Source of main photo: PAP/EPA/STR
