The Biden administration, wary of regional escalation that could draw in Hezbollah's major ally, Iran, has been trying to broker a truce between Israel and Hezbollah for months. The conflict began 13 months ago when the powerful Lebanese militia began firing rockets and shells at Israel a day after the Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel, triggering the Gaza war.
What are the details of the deal? The agreement follows the contours of UN security council resolution 1701, which ended the 36-day Israel-Hezbollah war of 2006, but was never fully implemented.
Israel's military is expected to withdraw entirely from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah would pull its heavy weapons north of the Litani River, about 16 miles north of the border.
During a 60-day transition phase, the Lebanese army would deploy to the buffer zone alongside the existing UN peacekeeping force. Longstanding border disputes will be discussed after the 60-day withdrawal period.
The process will be monitored by a US-led supervisory mechanism that would act as a referee on infringements. A letter of assurance that is not formally part of the deal reportedly guarantees US support for Israeli freedom of action if Hezbollah attacks Israel again or moves its forces or weaponry south of the Litani.
Is it likely to work? Israel appears to have come to the table after warnings from Washington that a failure to agree a ceasefire would prompt the US not to veto a UN security council resolution that would impose a ceasefire under disadvantageous conditions for Israel.
This story is from the November 27, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 27, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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