A ceasefire has been established between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, following a proposal announced by U.S. President Joe Biden aimed at ending the prolonged conflict.
Gatekeepers News reports that this ceasefire is intended to stop nearly 14 months of cross-border hostilities that have resulted in significant casualties, with thousands of deaths reported.
The truce commenced at 4 AM local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday, while there are ongoing concerns regarding its durability and the prospect of a permanent cessation of hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.
“The fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end… This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities,” Biden said when announcing the agreement on Tuesday night.
“Civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities and begin to rebuild their homes, their schools, their farms, their businesses and their very lives,” Biden said.
Hezbollah did not engage in direct negotiations concerning the ceasefire, and Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri mediated the group’s position. As of now, Hezbollah has not issued any formal statements regarding the ceasefire.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati conveyed to President Biden his approval of the agreement to halt combat between Hezbollah and Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also told the US president that his government had approved the truce and that he appreciated his “understanding that Israel will maintain its freedom of action in enforcing it”, his office said.
As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel will “gradually withdraw” its forces from southern Lebanon over the next 60 days, and the Lebanese Army and state security forces would deploy to the territory.
Biden released a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasising that both countries “will work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure this arrangement is fully implemented and enforced”.
The US and France also committed “to lead and support international efforts for capacity-building of the Lebanese Armed Forces as well as economic development throughout Lebanon to advance stability and prosperity in the region”.
The conflict escalated when Lebanon began launching attacks on Israel on October 8, 2023, in support of the Palestinian cause in Gaza. This exchange of hostilities continued for several months until Israel conducted an invasion of southern Lebanon at the beginning of last month.
Since the onset of the fighting, casualty figures indicate that at least 3,768 people from Lebanon have lost their lives, with an additional 15,699 reported injuries.
