Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire holds in early hours, Lebanese civilians return south By Reuters

Written by Maya Gebeily and Aziz Taher

BEIRUT (Reuters) – A ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was reached on Wednesday after both sides accepted a deal brokered by the US and France, a rare diplomatic victory in a Middle East that has been torn apart by two wars for more than a year.

The Lebanese army, tasked with ensuring that peace continues, said it was preparing to move into the south of the country, the region Israel has hit hardest by the Iran-backed terrorist group, as well as eastern towns and cities and Hezbollah strongholds. area south of Beirut.

The soldiers asked the residents of the border villages to delay returning home until the Israeli army, which has fought Hezbollah several times and pushed 6 kilometers into Lebanon, withdraws.

Israel said it targeted Hezbollah operatives returning to areas near the border and opened fire to prevent them from approaching. There were no signs that the incident would disrupt the ceasefire.

The agreement, which promises to end the conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s border that has killed thousands of people since the start of the war in Gaza last year, is a major achievement for the US in the waning days of President Joe Biden’s administration.

The agreement may allow Israel to focus more on the conflict in Gaza, where it has vowed to destroy its long-time enemy, the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which led the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israeli communities.

“Powers must allow dialogue and negotiation. This has now been achieved in Lebanon, and it must happen as soon as possible in the Gaza Strip,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Info radio.

Hamas chief Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that the group “values” Lebanon’s right to reach an agreement that protects its people, and hopes for an agreement to end the war in Gaza.

The Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, called on Israel to take full responsibility and “withdraw from all the regions and positions it was in”, hours after the agreement between Israel and Hezbollah was implemented.

Cars and vans laden with mattresses, suitcases and even furniture flowed from the southern port city of Tyre, which was heavily bombed in the last days before the ceasefire, heading south. Fighting has raged for the past two months, forcing hundreds of thousands of Lebanese to flee their homes.

Israel said its military mission was to ensure the safe return of some 60,000 Israelis who fled their communities along the northern border when Hezbollah began firing rockets at them in support of Hamas in Gaza.

In Lebanon, some cars waved national flags, others honked their horns, and one woman was seen waving her fingers in a victory sign as people began to return to their homes.

Many of the villages people were returning to had been destroyed.

Hussam Arrout, a father of four who said he was evicted from an area south of Beirut but originally from the southern border village of Mays al-Jabal, said he is itching to return to his ancestral home.

“The Israelis have not fully withdrawn, they are still on the brink. Therefore, we decided to wait until the soldiers announced that we can enter. Then we immediately opened the vehicles and went to the village,” he said.

‘FOREVER’

Announcing the ceasefire, Biden spoke at the White House on Tuesday shortly after Israel’s security cabinet approved the deal by a 10-1 vote.

“This is designed to end the animosity once and for all,” Biden said. “The remnants of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will no longer be allowed to threaten Israel’s security.”

Israel will gradually withdraw its forces over 60 days as the Lebanese army takes control of the area near its border with Israel to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its infrastructure there after a costly war, Biden said.

He said that his administration also wants an end to the violence in Gaza and that it is possible that Saudi Arabia and Israel can repair relations.

Egypt and Qatar, along with the United States, have tried to mediate a cease-fire in Gaza and have failed, accepting the Lebanon agreement. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that it hopes it will lead to a similar agreement to end the war in Gaza.

Iran, which supports Hezbollah and Hamas as well as the Houthi rebels who have attacked Israel from Yemen, has said it welcomes the ceasefire.

Hezbollah has not officially commented on the ceasefire but its chief Hassan Fadlallah told Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV that while it supports the extension of the Lebanese government’s mandate, the group will emerge from the war in force.

Israel has attacked Hezbollah, especially the killing of its veteran Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday that Israeli soldiers shot at several vehicles containing the suspects to prevent them from reaching the entry point in the Lebanese territory and the suspects left.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said he has ordered the military to “act firmly without compromise” if it happens again.

Netanyahu said the ceasefire would allow Israel to focus on the threat from Iran, give the military a chance to rest and replenish supplies, and isolate Hamas.

Hezbollah was much weaker than it was at the beginning of the conflict, he added.

“We pushed them back decades. We eliminated Nasrallah, the axis of the axis. We removed the top leadership of the organization, we destroyed their rockets and missiles,” said Netanyahu.