Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly agreed ‘in principle’ to a ceasefire with Lebanon, signaling potential de-escalation in regional tensions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prepared to agree to a US-brokered ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon, pending the resolution of some final details. This development has been reported by Israeli and American media outlets.
According to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Sunday, under the agreement’s terms, hostilities would cease between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Hezbollah is set to withdraw its fighters from southern Lebanon back across the Litani River. Following this withdrawal, IDF troops are expected to leave the area situated between the river and what is known as the ‘blue line’, which marks separation between Lebanon and both Israel and occupied Golan Heights.
Both parties would enter negotiations to redefine the boundaries of this border, with an international organization headed by the US overseeing that southern Lebanon stays demilitarized. If Hezbollah violates the truce terms, the US would back new military actions by the IDF.
Israeli forces engaged in a low-intensity campaign against Hezbollah fighters along the Blue Line until September. This escalated when Israel sabotaged thousands of Hezbollah communication devices, marking the beginning of an extensive bombing campaign in Lebanon, which was soon followed by a ground operation in the country’s south. Several senior commanders from Hezbollah were killed during Israeli airstrikes, including Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the paramilitary group.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, Israeli airstrikes on the country are believed to have resulted in over 3,670 fatalities since September. This number does not specify whether those killed were civilians or Hezbollah militants.
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The IDF has confirmed that 80 Israeli soldiers and law enforcement personnel have died in Lebanon and along the blue line since October 2023. Meanwhile, Hezbollah alleges that Israel is understating its casualties, asserting that the actual death toll is significantly higher.
According to the U.S. news outlet Axios, a deal was nearly finalized last Thursday when arrest warrants were issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant. The negotiations reportedly hit a standstill after France, serving as a mediator, indicated that it would enforce these warrants. However, discussions picked up again once U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein warned he would terminate talks unless Netanyahu progressed towards establishing a ceasefire in the subsequent days.
According to Axios, Netanyahu held a meeting with cabinet ministers and intelligence chiefs on Sunday to discuss the ceasefire. Hebrew media reports suggest that his main challenge is finding a way to present the ceasefire as a victory to the Israeli public.
On Monday, the IDF persisted in its airstrike campaign on Beirut following a series of intense bombardments over the weekend that resulted in dozens of fatalities. In response, Hezbollah launched approximately 250 rockets into Israel on Sunday, injuring at least seven individuals and continued their offensive with another rocket barrage targeting northern Israel on Monday afternoon.
