Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he is ready to implement a deal for a ceasefire with Lebanon and would “respond forcefully to any violation” by Hezbollah.
In an address to his cabinet, Netanyahu said he would present the ceasefire accord to the whole cabinet later in the evening. Television in Israel reported that a more restricted security cabinet had approved the deal earlier.
“We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. Together, we will continue until victory, said Netanyahu. “In full coordination with the United States, we retain complete military freedom of action. Should Hezbollah violate the agreement or attempt to rearm, we will strike decisively.”
He added there were three reasons to continue to pursue a ceasefire — to focus on Iran, give the army a rest, replenish arms supplies that have been depleted, and ultimately isolate Hamas. This militant group triggered regionwide war when it launched an unprovoked attack on Israel from Gaza last year.
He said Hezbollah, which is allied to Hamas and backed by Iran, was considerably weaker than it had been at the beginning of the conflict.
“We have set it back decades, eliminated…its top leaders, destroyed most of its rockets and missiles, neutralized thousands of fighters, and obliterated years of terror infrastructure near our border,” said Netanyahu.
“We targeted strategic objectives across Lebanon, shaking Beirut to its core.”
According to four senior sources in Lebanon who spoke to Reuters on Monday, Israel’s approval of the deal would pave the way for U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron to declare a ceasefire.
Despite the breakthrough diplomatically, hostilities continued as Israel dramatically accelerated its campaign of air strikes in Beirut along with other parts of Lebanon.
However, there wasn’t any indication that truth in Lebanon would speed up a hostage-release and ceasefire deal in devastated Gaza, where Israel is battling Hamas — a Palestinian militant group.
Ceasefire agreement requires the withdrawal of troops from South Lebanon
The ceasefire agreement in Lebanon requires Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon and Lebanon’s army to deploy in the area, say officials. Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the south of the Litani River border.
Abdallah Bou Habib, Lebanese Foreign Minister, said the Lebanese army would be ready to have a minimum of 5,000 troops deployed in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops in Lebanon withdraw, and the United States could play a significant role in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by Israeli strikes.
Israel demands effective enforcement by the U.N. of an eventual ceasefire with Lebanon and will show “zero tolerance” toward any infraction, said Defense Minister Israel Katz Tuesday.
In the hours prior to the announcement, Israeli strikes smashed more of Beirut’s southern suburbs, which are densely populated, a stronghold of Hezbollah. The Israeli military said one strike barrage had hit 20 targets in the city in only 120 seconds, killing at least seven individuals and injuring 37, according to the health ministry of Lebanon.
Israel issued its most substantial evacuation warning yet, telling civilians to leave 20 locations. Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military spokesperson, said the air force was conducting a “widespread attack” on Hezbollah targets citywide.
Hezbollah, which Iran backs, has continued rocket fire into Israel.
The chief of U.N. rights voiced concern about the increase in bloodshed in Lebanon, and his office said almost 100 people had been reported killed by Israeli airstrikes recently, including medics, women, and children.Israel has dealt massive blows to Hezbollah since going on the offensive against the group in September, killing its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as well as other top commanders, and pounding areas of Lebanon where the group holds influence.
