Israel has no justification for rejecting a ceasefire with Lebanon based on the proposals made by France and the United States, stated Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief.”There is no valid reason for not carrying out a ceasefire… No further excuses. No more additional demands. End this conflict. Stop the killing,” Mr. Borrell remarked during a G7 foreign ministers meeting held near Rome.
His remarks come as Israel appears poised to endorse a US-led ceasefire plan with the Iran-supported Hezbollah, according to a senior Israeli official.If approved, this plan could facilitate the conclusion of the war that has resulted in thousands of fatalities since it was triggered by the Gaza conflict 14 months ago.
This could open the door to a ceasefire announcement by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, four senior sources from Lebanon informed Reuters.In Washington, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby mentioned yesterday that they were “close” but emphasized, “nothing is final until everything is complete.”
The French presidency indicated that discussions surrounding a ceasefire had progressed significantly.The Shayyah neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs suffered damage from an Israeli airstrike overnight.
The agreement has already received backing in Beirut, where Lebanon’s deputy parliament speaker stated to Reuters that there are no major hurdles left for its implementation—unless Mr. Netanyahu changes his stance.
Mr. Netanyahu’s office refrained from commenting yesterday on reports regarding an agreement between Israel and Lebanon on the deal’s text.Hezbollah, designated as a terrorist organization by the US, has supported its ally Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in negotiations.
The proposal entails Israeli troop withdrawals from southern Lebanon, with Lebanese army units expected to deploy in the border area—a known Hezbollah stronghold—within 60 days, as stated by Elias Bou Saab, Lebanon’s deputy parliament speaker, along with a second Israeli official to Reuters.
Reports of a breakthrough have surfaced amid military escalations, with Israeli airstrikes causing further destruction in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut yesterday.
The extensive damage across Lebanon highlights a significant reconstruction cost looming for the financially strained nation, which has more than one million people displaced.
In Israel, a ceasefire would allow the return of 60,000 residents to northern homes that they evacuated in response to Hezbollah’s rocket attacks supporting its Palestinian ally Hamas after the assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Benjamin Netanyahu is set to preside over a cabinet meeting later to discuss the ceasefire agreement text.
Since launching a counter-offensive against Hezbollah in September, Israel has dealt severe blows to the group, killing its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and other high-ranking commanders, and targeting areas of Lebanon under Hezbollah control.
Despite this, Hezbollah has continued to fire rockets into Israel, with approximately 250 rockets launched on Sunday.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, stated yesterday that Israel would retain the right to strike southern Lebanon under any agreement. Lebanese officials have previously objected to such provisions, maintaining that such language is absent from the draft proposal.
According to a second Israeli official, Israel would only be able to strike against “imminent threats.”
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller indicated yesterday that the gaps between the two sides have significantly narrowed but acknowledged that additional steps remain before an agreement is reached.
“Often, the final stages of an agreement are the most challenging as the most difficult issues are left until the end,” he remarked. “We are doing everything we can to advance the talks.”
In Beirut, Mr. Bou Saab told Reuters that there are “no serious barriers” remaining for the implementation of a US-proposed ceasefire with Israel, “unless Netanyahu alters his position.”
In the past year, more than 3,750 individuals have lost their lives, and over one million have been forcibly displaced, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its statistics.
Read more: Latest Middle East updates
Hezbollah-related attacks have claimed the lives of 45 civilians in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Additionally, at least 73 Israeli soldiers have been killed in northern Israel, the Golan Heights, and in engagements in southern Lebanon, according to Israeli authorities.
The Biden administration, which is set to leave office in January, has prioritized diplomatic efforts to resolve the Lebanon conflict, even as negotiations to cease the ongoing war in Gaza remain suspended.
US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk is currently in Saudi Arabia to discuss utilizing a potential Lebanon ceasefire as a springboard for a deal to end hostilities in Gaza, as stated by the White House.
Diplomatic efforts concerning Lebanon have primarily focused on restoring a ceasefire in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which concluded the last significant conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006.
This resolution mandates Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters to approximately 30 km from the Israeli border, behind the Litani River, with the regular Lebanese army expected to occupy the border region.
Israel has long complained about the failure to properly implement Resolution 1701, highlighting the ongoing presence of Hezbollah fighters and weapons near the border. In contrast, Lebanon has expressed grievances regarding Israeli violations of the agreement, noting regular Israeli airspace breaches.
