Israel and Lebanon are getting close to a deal for a ceasefire, according to Israeli officials. They plan to meet on Tuesday to discuss this agreement. The proposed truce would last for 60 days and aims to stop the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, a militia backed by Iran.
The deal suggests that Israeli forces would leave southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah would also pull back from that area. A Western diplomat mentioned that the Lebanese army would increase its presence in the region once Israel and Hezbollah withdraw.
Recently, there has been a lot of fighting, with around 250 projectiles fired from Lebanon into Israel on Sunday. Most of these were intercepted, but Israel has continued air strikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
Lebanese deputy parliament speaker Elias Bou Saab stated that there are now “no serious obstacles” to reaching a ceasefire. One issue that was resolved is who will monitor the truce, with a committee of five countries, including France and led by the US, set to oversee it.
However, Israel wants to keep the option to return to Lebanon if it believes Hezbollah is preparing for an attack. This has caused some tension, as both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government are not comfortable with this condition.
There are also concerns about how the ceasefire will be enforced, given the limited strength of the UN peacekeeping forces and the Lebanese army. But it seems these worries have been addressed.
In Israel, some officials, like National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, oppose the ceasefire, arguing that now is a chance to defeat Hezbollah while they are weakened.
Since the conflict escalated in late September, Lebanese authorities have emphasized that any agreement should follow the terms of a UN resolution from 2006, which aimed to end a previous war between Hezbollah and Israel. This resolution called for Hezbollah to withdraw from certain areas, but both sides accuse each other of not fully respecting it.
The ongoing conflict has had devastating effects, with over 3,750 people killed and more than one million displaced in Lebanon since October 2023. In Israel, many residents have also been affected by the violence.
This summary is based on information from the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0rge45kw4jo