It appears that the ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon is being respected under an agreement brokered byas people in both countries began returning to homes in the border area destroyed by 14 months of fighting.
The deal, a rare diplomatic feat in a region racked by conflict for months, ended the deadliest clash between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group in years. But Israel is still fighting the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Cars and vans loaded with mattresses, suitcases and even furniture drove south through the heavily bombed Lebanese port city of Tyre, carrying some of the estimated 1.4 million people believed to have been uprooted by the conflict.
In the first statement from Hezbollah’s operations center since the truce was announced, the group made no direct mention of the ceasefire and vowed to continue its resistance.
Hezbollah said its fighters “remain fully equipped to meet the aspirations and attacks of the Israeli enemy.” His forces will monitor Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon “with their hands on the trigger.”
The ceasefire aims to end the conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border which, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, has killed at least 3,768 people in Lebanon since it erupted due to the war in Gaza last year.
“First Ray of Hope”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the ceasefire was “the first ray of hope” in months of conflict in the Middle East.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran welcomed the truce and hoped it would be permanent.
In Lebanon, some cars waved national flags and others honked as people began returning to the homes they had fled.
Israel said its military objective in Lebanon was to ensure the safe return of around 60,000 Israelis who fled communities along the northern border when Hezbollah began firing rockets at them in support of Hamas in Gaza in October 2023.
The Lebanese army, tasked with ensuring the ceasefire lasts, said it had begun deploying additional troops south of the Litani River in a region heavily bombed by Israel. The river meets the sea about 30 km north of the Israeli border.
Israel has also struck eastern cities and towns and the southern suburbs of Beirut, and Israeli troops have pushed about 6 km into Lebanon in ground incursions launched in September.
What are the terms of the ceasefire?
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israeli forces can remain in Lebanon for 60 days and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the military not to allow residents to return to villages near the border, after four officers of Hezbollah were arrested in the area.
The Lebanese army urged returning residents not to approach areas where Israeli forces were present for their safety.
Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said Israel’s enforcement of the ceasefire will be very determined.
“Hezbollah operatives who come close to our troops, the border area and the villages within the area that we have demarcated will be hit… we are preparing, we are preparing for the possibility that this (ceasefire) approach ) is not successful,” he said. .
The United States says it is pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza
Diplomatic efforts will now turn to devastated Gaza, where Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas, which was responsible for the October 7 attacks on Israeli communities. However, there was no hope of peace returning to the Palestinian enclave anytime soon.
Announcing the ceasefire, US President Joe Biden spoke at the White House shortly after Israel’s security cabinet approved the deal by a 10-1 vote.
“This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities,” Biden said. “The remnants of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed to threaten Israel’s security again.”
Australia and the United States are among the nations that consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Others, including the European Union, list only its military wing as a terrorist organization.
However, Hezbollah itself makes no distinction between its political and military wings.
Biden said his administration is also pushing for a phantom ceasefire in Gaza.
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group “appreciates” Lebanon’s right to reach an agreement that protects its people, and hopes for an agreement to end the Gaza war.
But many Gaza residents said they felt abandoned.
“We hope that all Arab and Western countries, and all people with merciful hearts and consciences … will implement a truce here because we are tired,” said Malak Abu Laila, a displaced person from Gaza.
