Netanyahu: Israeli cabinet set to approve Lebanon ceasefire
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The ceasefire agreement with Lebanon is set to take effect on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at 10 AM, as reported by Israeli Channel 12.
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In this screen grab, an image from a video by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a televised statement on Tuesday, November 26, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli security cabinet will agree this evening on a truce deal with Lebanon, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, shortly after the occupation military launched a series of unprecedented heavy airstrikes that targeted several areas across Lebanon, including central Beirut.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent said that the Israeli occupation government announced its approval of a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon.
In a pre-recorded video address, Netanyahu claimed that "with the full understanding with the US, we are maintaining full freedom of action" against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
"If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack," he vowed.
The Israeli premier, attempting to maintain an image of victory despite multiple criticisms leveled by officials against the ceasefire, pointed out that "the duration of the ceasefire depends on what takes place in Lebanon," adding that "the war will not end until we achieve all our goals, until we return the residents of the north safely home."
Netanyahu outlined three reasons for agreeing to the ceasefire at this time. First, he indicated that the truce would allow "Israel" to "focus on the Iranian threat."
Second, he highlighted the importance of providing rest for troops and replenishing weapon supplies, admitting that "there were delays, and big delays, in weapons shipments," without directly referencing the Biden administration.
The Israeli premier said that the "delay will soon be released," hinting at the return of Donald Trump to the White House.
He added that the third reason is to isolate the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas, which would enable "Israel" to retrieve the captives held in Gaza.
More than a year has gone by since the beginning of the war on Gaza and "Israel" has still not succeeded in retrieving the captives by force, as the Palestinian Resistance continued to highlight that they would only be returned through a ceasefire agreement.
Ceasefire to take effect on Wednesday
The agreement is set to take effect on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at 10 AM, as reported by the Israeli Channel 12.
Israeli media highlighted details of the agreement, stating that it includes a commitment that "Israel" will not undertake any military action against Lebanon and will gradually withdraw its forces from south of the "Blue Line" in Lebanon over a period of up to 60 days.
Additionally, the agreement stipulates that both Lebanon and "Israel" will adhere to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, according to Israeli media.
In a related context, the Israeli Channel 12 reported that the ceasefire agreement lacks explicit language granting "Israel" the freedom to attack Hezbollah if it allegedly violates the terms of the truce in areas north of Lebanon’s Litani River.
Instead, the agreement specifies that "Israel" must report such violations to a US-led international body overseeing the deal, which will then assess the severity of the breach.
'No deal with Hezbollah will erase the abandonments': Lapid
On his part, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the Netanyahu government’s handling of the ceasefire, accusing it of being “dragged into the agreement with Hezbollah” after more than a year of war.
“Meanwhile, northern communities were destroyed, the lives of the residents were destroyed, the army has been worn down while you’re advancing evasion laws,” Lapid indicated in a statement, referring to legislation to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from mandatory military service.
He said that "Israel's" assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and intense strikes on Beirut's Southern Suburb are “operational successes worthy of all praise, but the October 7 government did not know how to turn them into a diplomatic win.”
“Under Netanyahu’s watch, the greatest disaster happened in our history, no deal with Hezbollah will erase the abandonments. No statement to the press will change history,” Lapid stressed.
Read more: Israeli aggression threatens Lebanon’s archaeological treasures
