Israel-Hezbollah War: What's in the Ceasefire Agreement ?

After more than a year of war, including two months of escalation, between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah, Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his security cabinet would adopt “this evening” a ceasefire with Lebanese Hezbollah.

“The duration of the ceasefire will depend on what happens in Lebanon,” Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday. In his speech on Israeli television, the Israeli Prime Minister revealed that he would present “this evening” to the “cabinet for approval a draft ceasefire in Lebanon.” “In full agreement with the United States, we maintain complete freedom “military action” in Lebanon, he nevertheless insisted, specifying that in the event that Hezbollah violated the agreement and/or attempted to rearm, “we will attack”.

While Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has been vocally opposing the truce in recent hours, saying that reaching an agreement with Lebanon would be a “grave mistake” and a “historic missed opportunity to “eradicate Hezbollah,” Benjamin Netanyahu defended the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. For the Prime Minister, it will allow The Hebrew state to “focus on the Iranian threat”, but also to “re-arm” its troops and “increase pressure on Hamas”. For his part, the Lebanese Prime Minister called, in a statement, “on the international community […] to act quickly to put an end to this aggression and immediately implement a ceasefire.”

What does the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah provide for ?

On Tuesday evening, Benjamin Netanyahu did not specify exactly what the ceasefire agreement provided for. However, several points were mentioned in the media in recent hours, such as the fact that he would impose similar measures on Israeli forces and those of the Lebanese Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian Shiite Islamist group. He would also aim to evacuate the area of ​​southern Lebanon where the clashes are concentrated. The text would provide for a 60-day truce during which the two belligerents would end their armed presence: the Israeli army would have to leave Lebanon and Hezbollah would have to withdraw north of the Litani River according to the American information site Axios.

The departure of these troops would give way to the arrival of thousands of soldiers from the Lebanese army, which has remained on the sidelines of the conflict, except for a few strikes in retaliation for Israeli attacks targeting its infrastructure. At least 5,000 soldiers could be mobilized according to Lebanese Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, reports France 24. The Lebanese army would be supported by the Blue Helmets, the UN peacekeeping force.

To ensure compliance with the terms of the ceasefire – which partly echoes those of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006 after a month-long war between Israel and Lebanon, but never fully respected – an international monitoring committee would be set up. Five countries should make up this committee led by the United States.

Conditions still pending, others abandoned

While the broad outlines of the agreement appear acceptable to both parties according to the international community, some conditions have complicated the negotiations. On the issue of the international monitoring committee, the choice of member countries has been debated: Israel opposed the presence of France because of Franco-Lebanese political relations and the disagreements and heated exchanges between Emmanuel Macron and Benyamin Netanyahu. The Hebrew state is said to have finally revised its position, accepting the presence of France. On the other hand, Hezbollah has refused Britain's participation because of its proximity to Israel. Will it concede on this point after the Israeli concession? ?

The fact remains that Israel has put forward another demand: that of having the freedom to strike Lebanon in the event of a violation of the terms of the agreement by the Islamist group. A point defended by Israeli Defense Minister Katz in the name of a “zero tolerance policy”, but which seems hardly compatible with a ceasefire agreement and which would entail a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty. The Hezbollah leader specified for his part that he would not accept an agreement that the condition that it implies a “complete end to aggression”.

Another point could remain a source of tension without being able to be resolved by the terms of the ceasefire agreement: the 13 disputed points of the blue line, the border between Israel and Lebanon. The blue line has been drawn by the UN in 2000 after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, but thirteen points of this border are disputed between the two countries. Both Israel and Lebanon, however, refuse to negotiate on the distribution of land.