Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire after nearly 13 months of fighting.
The ceasefire will officially take effect at 4am local time (1pm AEDT).
U.S. President Joe Biden said the ceasefire is “designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities”.
Hezbollah
Hezbollah is based in Lebanon and receives funding and training from Iran. Australia lists the group as a terrorist organisation.
On 8 October 2023, one day after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, Hezbollah started regularly launching missiles and rockets at Israel.
Since that time, around 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from their homes in northern Israel. According to Israeli authorities, Hezbollah attacks have killed at least 75 people in Israel.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli forces have killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon over the past 13 months.
In September this year, Israel launched a ground invasion into Lebanon.
Around 900,000 Lebanese people have been displaced.
Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed by Israeli forces earlier this year.
Details
Over the next 60 days, both Israel and Hezbollah will be required to retreat from their current positions.
Hezbollah will be required to move north, away from the Israel-Lebanon border. The Lebanese army will be deployed to take control of the territory in southern Lebanon. The army will be responsible for ensuring that any remaining Hezbollah infrastructure is removed and can’t be rebuilt.
The Israeli army will be required to withdraw from Lebanon over this same period, as the Lebanese army moves into place.
The U.S. and France will “ensure this arrangement is fully implemented and enforced”.
However, Biden confirmed no U.S. troops will be deployed to southern Lebanon.
He also said that “if Hezbollah or anybody else breaks the deal and poses a direct threat to Israel, Israel retains the right to self defence”.
Response
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “a good deal is a deal that is enforced, and we will enforce it”. He added: “The length of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the deal is “a fundamental step towards establishing calm and stability in Lebanon and the return of the displaced to their homes and cities”.
Gaza
The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah will not end the hostilities between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
On this, Biden said today: “The people of Gaza have been through hell… their world is absolutely shattered.”
He confirmed that over the next few days, the U.S. will make “another push” with Türkiye, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and have the remaining hostages released.
The last pause in hostilities in Gaza was in November last year.
