Ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah takes effect

The ceasefire agreement comes into effect today

A ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia took effect in the early hours of the morning after more than a year of war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned militias backed by arch-enemy Iran: “The duration of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon.” As US President Joe Biden said, the ceasefire was brokered by the United States and France to achieve it ” A permanent cessation of hostilities”. Hezbollah itself initially showed no reaction to the ceasefire announcement.

Shortly after the ceasefire came into effect, gunfire erupted in Beirut, the Lebanese capital. The first people to flee southern Lebanon returned by car to villages where there was no Israeli military presence. An Israeli military spokesman wrote in Arabic on the X day that residents in areas that had received evacuation notices were temporarily not allowed to return to their villages. “(Israeli troops) will continue to maintain positions in southern Lebanon as the ceasefire and its terms come into effect,” the spokesman wrote.

The Israeli air force continued to launch particularly large-scale attacks on Beirut and the city's southern suburbs until shortly before an agreed break in fighting came into effect at 4am local time (3am CET). The Lebanese Ministry of Health said that an attack in central Beirut killed at least 10 people.

As a dpa reporter described that night, violent explosions could be heard throughout the capital. At 4:00 a.m., the explosions and the roar of fighter jets stopped. Hezbollah had continued to fire rockets into northern Israel, where sirens sounded again.

Can the ceasefire agreement be maintained?

According to unconfirmed media reports of the agreement, the Shia militias will first withdraw behind the Litani River, about 30 kilometers north of the de facto border between Israel and Lebanon. Israeli ground forces should withdraw from Lebanon within 60 days. To prevent the return of Hezbollah fighters, Lebanese army soldiers who are not actually involved in the war will be stationed along the border while Israel withdraws, senior U.S. government officials reported.

The United States is said to be negotiating a ceasefire not with Hezbollah but with the Lebanese government. They must now take responsibility for what is happening in their country. Given the weakness of the Lebanese government, it is doubtful whether it will be able to do this. Lebanese acting Prime Minister Naguib Mikati called for the agreement to be implemented immediately. According to media reports, the ceasefire will be overseen by a group of countries led by the United States, along with France, Lebanon, Israel and UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force that has been stationed in Lebanon for many years.

Netanyahu warns Hezbollah

The supervisory board should also ensure that militias do not rearm themselves. Israel claims it has the right to intervene militarily in Lebanon at any time if Hezbollah violates the agreement and the Lebanese army and the international group of countries fail to take action. Netanyahu said: “With the full consent of the United States, we retain full freedom of military action.” “If Hezbollah violates the agreement and attempts to arm itself, we will launch an attack.” A senior US government official said that Lebanon and Israel also retains the right of self-defense under international law.

Not ruling out further attacks: Benjamin Netanyahu.Image: trapezoid

French President Macron talks about opportunities in Lebanon. “It is important that the ceasefire is maintained permanently,” Macron said in a video posted on X.

U.S. President Joe Biden said the deal supported the country's sovereignty and heralded “a new beginning for Lebanon.”

Switzerland welcomes ceasefire in Lebanon. As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the text message service

The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) also calls on all parties to the conflict to respect international law and work to de-escalate the conflict through diplomatic channels throughout the region.

The war in Gaza continues

According to its own statements, Hezbollah has so far opened fire on Israel in support of Islamist Hamas in the still-embattled Gaza Strip. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israel, triggering the Gaza War. Shortly after, Lebanon also began shelling. Originally, Hezbollah, which is allied with Hamas, did not want to end its attacks on Israel until a ceasefire was reached in Gaza. She has now clearly given up on meeting this condition.

A view of the Gaza coast as the fighting continues.Image: trapezoid

Netanyahu said ending the war with Hezbollah would leave Hamas isolated in Gaza. “We will increase the pressure on Hamas,” he announced in the evening. That could pave the way for the release of about 100 hostages believed to be still in the Gaza Strip, but it's unclear how many of them are still alive.

Shortly before the ceasefire against Hezbollah began, Israeli forces announced the killing of another senior Hamas member. Mumin al-Jabari is a member of the Hamas Brigade sniper unit in Gaza City. He was hit in a precision attack on a building formerly used as a school. The Israeli military's statement could not be independently verified.

The United States also wants a ceasefire in Gaza

US President Joe Biden also called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. “Just as the people of Lebanon deserve a secure and prosperous future, so too do the people of Gaza deserve a secure and prosperous future. They too deserve an end to the fighting,” he said.

The United States has been pushing for a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel for weeks. On the Lebanese side, many villages and neighborhoods were reduced to rubble by Israeli army attacks. The military said a total of about 12,000 targets in Lebanon had been bombed.

According to Lebanese information, which cannot be independently verified and does not distinguish between civilians and armed personnel, more than 3,700 people were killed and approximately 15,500 injured. It is estimated that more than 800,000 people in the country have been displaced by fighting, with hundreds of thousands fleeing there thinking they are safer in neighboring crisis country Syria.

During the same period in Israel, Hezbollah attacks killed 76 people, mostly civilians, injured more than 700 and caused significant property damage. However, Israel's missile defense system intercepted most of the militia's projectiles. About 60,000 residents in northern Israel were evacuated. (Sudanese Development Authority/Department of Political Affairs)