JERUSALEM: The Israeli government appro­ved a truce with Hezbollah in Lebanon on Tuesday and Prime Minister Benja­min Netanyahu thanked US President Joe Biden for his “involvement in securing the ceasefire agreement”.

Netanyahu’s office said 10 ministers voted in favour and one opposed the agreement. In the call, Netanyahu told Biden that he appreciated his “understanding that Israel will maintain its freedom of action in enforcing it”, his office said.

Biden said the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbo­l­lah will take effect at 4am local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the United States and France.

The accord, clearing the way for an end to a conflict that has killed thousands of people since it was igni­ted by the Gaza war last year, was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities, Biden said in remarks at the White House.

Biden said the United States would lead a fresh effort to secure a truce in Gaza. Now Hamas has a choice to make. Their only way out is to release the prisoners, including American citizens, and, in the process, bring an end to the fighting, which would make possible a surge of humanitarian relief, he added.

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“Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkiye, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.”

The Lebanon ceasefire agreement requires Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon and Lebanon’s army to deploy in the region, officials say. Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the border south of the Litani River.

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 United States could play a role in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by Israeli strikes.

Earlier, Netanyahu said he was ready to implement a ceasefire deal and would respond forcefully to any violation by Hezbollah, declaring Israel would retain “complete military freedom of action”.

“We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. Together, we will continue until victory,” Netanyahu said.

“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 claimed that Hezbollah was considerably weaker than it had been at the start of the conflict. “We have set it back decades, eliminated … its top leaders, destroyed most of its rockets and missiles, neutralised thousands of fighters, and obliterated years of their infrastructure near our border,” he said.

“We targeted strategic objectives across Lebanon, shaking Beirut to its core.”

Despite the diplomatic breakthrough, hostilities raged as Israel dramatically ramped up its campaign of air strikes in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon, with health authorities reporting at least 18 killed.

A Hezbollah parliament member in Lebanon, Hassan Fadlallah, said the country faced “dangerous, sensitive hours” during the wait for a possible ceasefire announcement.

However, there was no indication that a truce in Lebanon would hasten a ceasefire and prison-release deal in devastated Gaza.

Israel demands effective UN enforcement of an eventual ceasefire with Lebanon and will show “zero tolerance” toward any infraction, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday.

In the hours before the announcement, Israeli strikes smashed more 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, killing at least seven people and injuring 37, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

Israel issued its biggest evacuation warning yet, telling civilians to leave 20 locations. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the air force was conducting a “widespread attack” on Hezbollah targets across the city.

Hezbollah has kept up rocket fire into Israel.

The UN rights chief voiced concern about the escalation of bloodshed in Lebanon and his office said nearly 100 people had been reported killed by Israeli airstrikes in recent days, including women, children and medics.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2024