By Diego Ramos / Original to ScheerPost
CNN reports an Israeli official confirmed the Israeli security cabinet’s decision to vote to approve a ceasefire deal in Lebanon.
The deal has been announced hours after a relentless Israeli bombing campaign in Beirut. The ceasefire is expected to go into effect at 10:00 AM Wednesday morning local time.
The deal is meant to last 60 days with the aim of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was introduced to end a 34-day war between Israel and Lebanon in 2006. Israel must withdraw all its troops from southern Lebanon, with only Lebanese and UN forces to remain in the area south of the Litani river.
According to Al Jazeera, the Deputy Head of Hezbollah’s Political Council, Mahmoud al-Qamati, said, “We doubt Netanyahu’s commitment and will not allow him to pass a trap with the agreement. We must scrutinize the points that Netanyahu agreed to before the government signs [the deal] tomorrow.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a pre-recorded message Israel’s reasons for approving the ceasefire measures, including “focus[ing] on the Iranian threat,” replenishing their military forces and equipment and leaving Hamas to fight alone without the threat of Hezbollah on another front.
Middle East historian, Ali A. Olomi, questioned on X what this ceasefire will actually mean, especially considering the genocide in Gaza.
“Maybe Israel thinks it’s all worth it since they’ll have a chance to occupy Gaza but in actuality the cost is only going to increase,” Olomi wrote. “You can already see these tensions as Netanyahu’s own coalition is condemning the ceasefire deal.”
As for Israel, Olomi thinks “In the end it’s hard to see it any other way than a complete humiliation of Israel. Its economy is struggling, it’s more diplomatically isolated than ever before, it’s facing the ICC and the ICJ as major blows to its international face.”
According to the UN:
Adopted unanimously in 2006, the purpose of resolution 1701 continues to be about ending hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, with the Council calling for a permanent ceasefire to be based on the creation of a buffer zone.
By the resolution, the Council decided to take steps to ensure peace, among them authorising an increase of force strength of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to a maximum of 15,000 troops that would, among other things, monitor the cessation of hostilities, support Lebanese armed forces as Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon and ensure the safe return of displaced persons.
The resolution intends to integrate a number of principles and elements, including disarmament of armed groups in Lebanon except the Lebanese State forces, respect of the Blue Line by both parties and more.
The mayor of Kiryat Shmona, a city in Northern Israel where residents have been forced to flee due to Hezbollah attacks, called the deal a “total surrender.”
Netanyahu threatened any violation of the agreement would be met with retaliation. “If [Hezbollah] tries to rebuild terrorist infrastructure near the border, we will attack. If it launches a rocket, if it digs a tunnel, if it brings in a truck carrying rockets, we will attack,” Netanyahu said in his address.
Please share this story and help us grow our network!
Diego Ramos
Diego Ramos, ScheerPost Special Projects Editor and New York bureau chief, is a journalist from Queens, NY. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He has previously worked at BuzzFeed News and was managing editor of Annenberg News at USC. He’s covered and researched myriad topics including war, politics, psychedelic research and sports.
Editor’s Note: At a moment when the once vaunted model of responsible journalism is overwhelmingly the play thing of self-serving billionaires and their corporate scribes, alternatives of integrity are desperately needed, and ScheerPost is one of them. Please support our independent journalism by contributing to our online donation platform, Network for Good, or send a check to our new PO Box. We can’t thank you enough, and promise to keep bringing you this kind of vital news.
You can also make a donation to our PayPal or subscribe to our Patreon.