Following PM Netanyahu's recommendation, Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire deal with Hezbollah
The Israeli cabinet has adopted a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement on Tuesday evening, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recommendation which he had made public a few hours before.
The ceasefire is supposed to initially last for 60 days but Netanyahu warned that
“the duration of the ceasefire depends on what will happen in Lebanon. In full understanding with the United States, we maintain full military freedom of action. If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack. If it tries to renew terrorist infrastructure near the border - we will attack."
US President Joe Biden, reacting to the news aid in a speech in the Rose Garden in front of the White House, said that the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah will begin on Wednesday at 4am local time (2am GMT).
He added that the deal “heralds a new start for Lebanon” after “the deadliest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in decades”.
Political observers noted that the deal represented a significant success for Biden's foreign policy legacy.
The Israeli military had earlier issued a flurry of evacuation warnings — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah down to the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground troops reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River, a focal point of the emerging deal.
The deal does not affect Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending.
Intense fighting leading up to deal
The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel.
However, according to Lebanese officials, Hezbollah also supports the deal.
