Report: Israel Close to Ceasefire with Lebanon

Israel is possibly days away from signing a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, an agreement that will end over a year of warfare in the area, Israeli media reported.

The exact details of the agreement are unclear, and the reports indicate that there are still some sticking points, but it appears that Israel will agree to withdraw the IDF forces maneuvering in southern Lebanon and will stop its attacks on Hezbollah terror infrastructure across the country.

In return, the terror organization will withdraw its units from Israel’s border and cease its attacks on Israeli civilian targets.

According to the Associated Press, the agreement brokered by US special envoy Amos Hochstein calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Lebanese army troops will patrol the border area along with a United Nations peacekeeping force.

An international committee that will the US and France is to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the 2006 ceasefire agreement that ended the Second Lebanon War but was ignored by Hezbollah and the Lebanese government from the moment it was signed.

As part of the agreement, Israel is demanding the Lebanese Army collect all weapons Hezbollah leaves behind. The US is expected to supervise this move.

While sources in Jerusalem expressed optimism about the end of the hostilities, Israeli officials stated they would oppose the agreement if brought to a vote in the government.

Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir stated Monday that the agreement with Lebanon is “a big mistake,” and that the ending of the IDF’s counterterrorism campaign at this point is “a historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.

“I understand all the constraints and justifications, and it is still a serious mistake,” he said.

“We must listen to the commanders fighting on the ground, listen to the heads of the authorities [in the north]. Precisely now, when Hezbollah is beaten and yearns for a ceasefire, we must not stop. As I warned in the past in Gaza, I warn now too: Mr. Prime Minister – it is not yet too late to stop this agreement! We must continue until complete victory!” Ben-Gvir urged.

Brig. Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi, founder and chairman of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF), delineated the basic demands Israel should make in any ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.

“First, Israel should demand a perimeter two kilometers deep in Lebanon in which it will be forbidden for Lebanese citizens to return. Hezbollah uses the civilian population as a cover for its terror activities. The IDF has razed many of these villages.

“Second, all Hezbollah infrastructure south of the Litani River must be destroyed and prevented from being built.

“Last, Israel must maintain military freedom of action that will allow it to prevent Hezbollah from arming itself in all areas of Lebanon,” Avivi emphasized.

The IDSF chair noted that Hezbollah has been severely beaten, and Israel is in a position to change the reality in the north, but it “must be stubborn in negotiations to do so and bring the operational achievements to expression on the diplomatic plane.”

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