Middle East: Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire begins

The cease-fire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has officially come into force.

The truce began at 4:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) local time. 

If the deal holds, it will end more than a year of war between Israel and Hezbollah, which has forced tens of thousands of people in Israel and hundreds of thousands more in Lebanon to flee their homes. The two sides have been trading blows since October 8, 2023, a day after Hamas launched terrorist attacks on southern Israel. 

Hezbollah said its cross-border strikes against Israel were in support of its Palestinian ally.

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated dramatically in recent months.

In September, Israel stepped up its bombing campaign and mounted a ground operation in a bid to push Hezbollah's militants away from the country's northern border. 

Iran-backed Hezbollah is considered a terror group by the US, Germany and several other countries.

Hours before the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah was due to come into force, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ordered the evacuation of residents in areas of central Beirut and the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.

"Urgent warning to residents of the Beirut area," Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X, telling people in the Bachoura area in the city center to leave, as well as "all residents in the southern suburb area," specifically in Ghobeiry.

The US and France brokered the cease-fire and it will officially start at 04:00 a.m. local time in Lebanon and Israel (03:00 CET).

The agreement is based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 36-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

• It calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon within the next 60 days.
• Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border with Israel.
• Lebanon's army, along with the United Nations peacekeeping force UNIFIL, will secure the border area to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its infrastructure there.
• Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib stated that the Lebanese military could deploy up to 10,000 troops in southern Lebanon
• Lebanon's deputy speaker of parliament Elias Bou Saab told Reuters a pre-existing tripartite mechanism between UNIFIL, the Lebanese, and Israeli militaries would be expanded to include the US and France, with the US chairing the group.
• According to US President Joe Biden, civilians on both sides of the border will be able to return to their communities.

Israel maintains ‘complete military freedom of action’: Benjamin Netanyahu

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called the truce "an essential step towards spreading calm and stability."

He made the remarks in a statement issued after US President Joe Biden announced the truce deal.

Mikati said Lebanon was committed to implementing UN resolution 1701, on which the cease-fire deal is based. 

He also reiterated his government's promise to "strengthen the army's presence in the south." 

The Lebanese Cabinet, which includes members of Hezbollah's political wing, will reportedly meet on Wednesday to formally approve it.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the cease-fire in Lebanon should "open the path" for ending the war in Gaza.

The US and France brokered the deal in Lebanon.

"This agreement should open the path for a cease-fire too long awaited with regards to the incomparable suffering of the population in Gaza," Macron said in a video posted on social media.

He added that it "shows that only political courage can provide everyone in the Middle East long-term peace and stability."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed the cease-fire agreement hailing it as "a ray of hope for the entire region."

"People on both sides of the border want to live in genuine and lasting security," Baerbock said in a statement, 

She added a cease-fire in Gaza was urgently needed to secure the release of hostages and end the suffering there.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the cease-fire agreement.

She described it as "encouraging news" for Lebanon and Israelis. 

"Lebanon will have an opportunity to increase internal security and stability thanks to Hezbollah's reduced influence," she wrote on social media. 

US President Joe Biden announced that a cease-fire has been reached between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

He said fighting across the border will end at 4 a.m. Lebanon time (2 a.m. GMT).

Biden said the 60-day deal, if fully implemented, is "designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities."

The US and France brokered the truce that aims to end to the fighting triggered by Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.  Hezbollah and Hamas are both backed by Iran. 

Biden spoke after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted the truce. 

"The length of the cease-fire will depend on what happens in Lebanon," Netanyahu said. 

The Lebanese Cabinet, that includes members of Hezbollah's political wing, will reportedly meet on Wednesday to formally approve it.

Biden also said the US will make another push "in coming days" to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The Times of Israel reports a snap poll by Israel's Channel 12 indicates that Israelis are split on the proposed cease-fire with Hezbollah. 

When asked about their stance on the arrangement, 37% expressed support, 32% opposed it, and 31% were undecided.

The poll further reveals a stark contrast in opinions among political lines.

Among supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, only 20% back the deal, while 45% oppose it and 35% remain uncertain. 

In contrast, 50% of opposition voters support the cease-fire agreement.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he opposed the cease-fire deal with Hezbollah, describing it as a "historic mistake."

The agreement does not ensure the return of Israelis to their homes in the country's north, he said on social media.

"In order to leave Lebanon, we must have our own security belt," Ben-Gvir added. 

The comments come after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was ready to implement the deal and would present it to his full Cabinet later in the evening.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that a cease-fire in Lebanon is unlikely to facilitate a truce or hostage-release agreement in Gaza, where Israeli forces continue their war with Hamas.

Speaking after Israel's security cabinet approved a cease-fire deal with Hezbollah, Netanyahu said the truce would allow Israel to "intensify" pressure on Hamas and focus on the "Iranian threat."

"When Hezbollah is out of the picture, Hamas is left alone in the fight. Our pressure on it will intensify," Netanyahu said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is asking Israel's cabinet to approve a cease-fire deal to stop fighting against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

He made the announcement on Tuesday after meeting with his security cabinet. 

It could end the current fighting that has dragged on for over a year and intensified in September.

It led to thousands of deaths in Lebanon and nearly 100 Israeli civilians and soldiers killed.

Nearly 60,000 people in Israel and 1 million in Lebanon have had to flee their homes.

Netanyahu said a Lebanon truce will allow Israel to "focus on Iranian threat" but warned tough action will be taken against Hezbollah in the event of violations. 

Iran-backed Hezbollah, considered a terror group by some countries, including the US and Germany, began attacking Israel on October 8, 2023, a day after the Hamas-led terror attack on southern Israel.

Israel stepped up its bombing campaign in September and mounted a ground operation. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said efforts to secure a cease-fire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group
Hezbollah were "in the final stages."

"We are tracking this very closely. I hope and believe we can get this over the finish line," he said at a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Italy.

Blinken said he hoped that "by de-escalating tensions in the region, it can also help us to end the conflict in Gaza."

Israeli warplanes have hit Beirut's southern suburbs with a wave of airstrikes just before Israel's cabinet was set to discuss a ceasefire deal with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

A senior Israeli official and Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib appeared optimistic a deal could be reached. 

But despite the possibility of an imminent diplomatic breakthrough, hostilities were still raging on Tuesday.

Israeli strikes hit parts of Beirut's densely-populated southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. The Israeli military said one barrage of strikes had hit 20 targets in the city in just 120 seconds.

Israel had issued its biggest evacuation warning yet, ordering civilians to leave 20 locations.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said his country's air force was conducting a "widespread attack" on Hezbollah targets across the city.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has kept up rocket fire into Israel.

Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and several Sunni Arab countries, while the EU lists its armed wing as a terrorist group.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said that — after more than a year of violence — a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon is "within reach."

At the meeting of the G7 foreign ministers in Italy, Baerbock spoke of progress towards a political solution, crediting the direct mediation of the United States and France.

The German government had worked intensively on this with "closely coordinated shuttle diplomacy."

"We are at a critical moment right now — perhaps a moment that also gives us hope," said Baerbock at the meeting, which is being held in the small town of Fiuggi in central Italy. 

The minister added: "Giving up, despite setbacks, is simply not an option."