Ceasefire in Lebanon

After protracted negotiations involving the US and France, Israel and Hezbollah have accepted a ceasefire.

- HARSHA KAKAR

The ceasefire comes after over a year of fighting resulting in the loss of thousands of lives, mostly innocents.

Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron said in a joint statement that the agreement "will cease the fighting in Lebanon, and secure Israel from the threat of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations operating from Lebanon," adding that it "will create conditions to restore lasting calm and allow residents in both countries to return safely to their homes."

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli PM, said, "We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation."

According to the agreement there would initially be a sixty-day ceasefire.

The world welcomed the agreement as it ended one part of the conflict in West Asia.

The conflict in Lebanon has thus far displaced over 1.2 million Lebanese as also 60,000 Israelis.

According to Lebanon there have been over 3,700 deaths, while Israel has accepted the loss of 75 soldiers and 45 civilians.

UNSC resolution 1701 which ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict was the basis for the current agreement.

Similar to 2006, only Lebanese armed forces and UN peacekeepers would operate south of Lebanon's Litani River.

This will imply that Hezbollah forces would retreat about 40 km from the border while Israeli forces would vacate Lebanon.

Over the years, the 2006 truce was breached by both sides, with Hezbollah constructing underground structures and Israeli aircraft overflying Lebanon regularly.

Yet the truce held, till Hamas launched its raids on Israel on 7 October last year.

It should be noted that both the ceasefires (2006 and current) are between Israel and Hezbollah, not Lebanon, implying that the world has accepted Hezbollah as a global entity, despite it being designated as a terrorist group.

The current ceasefire is a win-win for all sides involved in the conflict and hence there is hope that it will hold.