Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Nearly 50 days before Donald Trump’s oath as the 47th US President, Israel announced a ceasefire with Lebanon-based, Iran-supported Shia terror outfit Hezbollah, brokered by the US and France, with a warning that hostilities could resume if the deal’s terms are violated.
India has welcomed the deal which came into effect at 4 am on Wednesday (local time), and is expected to bring some respite after 13 months of ongoing war in the Middle East, the media reported.
Apparently, Washington and Paris did not want Trump to quickly get credit for the peace deal as a feather in his cap—but Israel’s war against another Iran-supported terror outfit Hamas, in the Gaza Strip, continues relentlessly.
The ceasefire deal is expected to isolate Iran from Lebanon’s internal affairs—that is, enabling Beirut to retake control of the captive country from the Hezbollah terrorists.
However, the ceasefire deal may remain fragile and short-lived. Despite the diplomatic breakthrough, hostilities continued on Tuesday as Israel ramped up its military campaign in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon, resulting in the death of 18 people. Hezbollah also continued to fire rockets into Israel.
Ahead of Israel’s approval of the deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the “length of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon” and the truce would allow Israel to “intensify” pressure on Hamas and focus on the “Iranian threat.”
Israel’s security cabinet on Tuesday approved a ceasefire deal with Lebanon-controlling Hezbollah, PM Netanyahu’s office announced on Tuesday.
“The political-security cabinet approved this evening the United States’ proposal for a ceasefire arrangement in Lebanon, by a majority of 10 ministers against one opponent. Israel appreciates the contribution of the United States in the process, and maintains its right to act against any threat to its security,” the statement read.
The ceasefire deal came into effect on Wednesday morning and is expected to halt the war that has killed almost 3,800 people and left about 16,000 others wounded, the reports said.
After approval by Israel, US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron issued a joint statement, committing their nations to work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure the agreement is fully implemented and enforced.
“We remain determined to prevent this conflict from becoming another cycle of violence,” they said, adding that they will also commit to supporting efforts to rebuild the Lebanese Armed Forces and support Lebanon’s economic development.
After the ceasefire deal, Biden said that Israel will gradually withdraw its forces over the next 60 days as Lebanon’s army takes control of territory near its border with Israel to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its infrastructure there.
“Fighting across the Israel-Lebanon border would end at 4 am (local time). This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities. What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed to threaten the security of Israel again,” the outgoing US President said.
The Lebanon ceasefire agreement requires Israeli troops to withdraw from South Lebanon and Lebanon’s army to deploy in the region. Hezbollah would also end its armed presence along the border south of the Litani River, as per the ceasefire agreement.
After the deal, President Biden also spoke to PM Netanyahu and Lebanon’s PM Najib Mikati.
Earlier, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said the Lebanese army would be ready to have at least 5,000 troops deployed in Southern Lebanon as Israeli troops withdraw, and that the US could play a role in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by Israeli strikes.
The Middle East has been witnessing a tumultuous security situation since October 2023 after Hamas, the Sunni outfit controlling the Gaza Strip, launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing about 1,300 people and taking hostage over 250 others.
The attack triggered a war in several parts of the Middle East, which has killed more than 43,000 people.
In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday said: “We welcome the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that has been announced. We have always called for de-escalation, restraint, and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. We hope these developments will lead to peace and stability in the wider region.”
Netanyahu thanked President Biden for his “involvement in securing the ceasefire agreement.” He told Biden in a call that he appreciated the US leader’s “understanding that Israel will maintain its freedom of action in enforcing it,” according to Netanyahu’s office.
The deal, announced on Tuesday night, came after nearly 14 months of fighting. While President Joe Biden said the deal is designed to provide a permanent end to the conflict, Israeli ministers insisted Israel would resume strikes on Lebanon if Hezbollah breached the terms of the ceasefire.
While the deal does not affect Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, the ceasefire would likely bring an end to nearly 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.