Islam Times - Bitter Ceasefire for Netanyahu Starts, Displaying the PM’s Loss to Hezbollah

Islam Times - After days of sending positive signals about untying the Lebanon ceasefire negotiations twist, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday announced green light to the Western-proposed deal.

Without mentioning the results of the 52-day military operation in Lebanon and the extent to which the regime's goals in the war with Hezbollah were achieved, Netanyahu tried to hide his lack of success on the battleground by outlining new goals, and stated that the reasons for accepting the ceasefire were focusing on the Iranian threat, reviving the army, defeating Hamas in Gaza, and separating the military fronts.

This criminal who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, by tacitly admitting his inability to return the displaced settlers of the north of the occupied territories to their homes, reiterated his broken promises and addressed the displaced and the discontented public opinion of the occupied territories.

"I have said many times that a good agreement is an agreement that can be implemented, and we will implement it and return the residents of the north," he said.

However, he did not say whether he was able to include the necessary security guarantees that he had previously promised in the text of the ceasefire agreement. He also did not clarify how the war cabinet under his leadership would guarantee the security of the northern cities for the return of the displaced without destroying Hezbollah's military power in the war and amid the daily hail of rockets throughout all areas of the occupied territories.

Biden-Macron joint statement

The US President Joe Biden on Tuesday confirmed a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, describing it as “good news.”

Speaking at the White House after the Israeli security cabinet announced its approval of the ceasefire, Biden said the ceasefire would take effect at 4:00 a.m. local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

Biden also said in a joint statement with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon creates the necessary conditions for the return of calm to the country.

Biden and Macron said in their joint statement that the ceasefire agreement would protect Israel from the threat posed by Hezbollah by ending the war.

Lebanese government welcomes the deal, Hezbollah conservative

For its part, the office of caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement that Mikati welcomed the agreement brokered by Washington to end hostilities in a phone call with the US president.

In another statement, Mikati said that the ceasefire between Hezbollah and the occupation regime was “a fundamental step towards spreading peace and stability in Lebanon.”

He said: “I reviewed this agreement, which outlines the roadmap for the ceasefire, and it is considered a fundamental step towards spreading peace and stability in Lebanon and the return of displaced people to their villages and cities.”

The PM "reaffirmed his government's commitment to implementing Security Council Resolution 1701, strengthening the military presence in the south, and cooperating with the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Mahmoud Qamati, Deputy Chairman of Hezbollah's Political Council, also responded to Netanyahu's remarks about agreeing to the ceasefire agreement, saying: "We doubt Netanyahu's commitment and hope that this agreement will be implemented in accordance with what was agreed upon and that our concerns will be taken into account."

He added: "We must examine the points that Netanyahu agreed to before the (Lebanese) government signed on Wednesday."

Qamati also said: "It is unacceptable that the Israeli army can operate freely within our borders and within our lands." He concluded by saying that we entered these negotiations from a position of strength, especially after Lebanon stood against to the Israeli army.

It is noteworthy that Israel has launched a ground invasion of Lebanon since October 25. According to official Lebanese information, the Israeli aggression has resulted in the deaths of about 3,800 people and the injury of more than 15,000, including many children and women, as well as the displacement of about 1.4 million people.

What are terms of agreement?

Al Jazeera, citing the Hebrew-language Hadashot, described the full terms of the agreement between Tel Aviv and Beirut as follows:

Hezbollah and other armed groups present on Lebanese soil will not carry out any offensive action against Israel.

Israel will not take any aggressive military action against Lebanon, including on land, in the air or at sea.

Israel and Lebanon recognize the importance of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

These commitments do not negate the right of Israel or Lebanon to exercise their inherent right to self-defense.

The official Lebanese security and military forces will be the only armed groups authorized to carry weapons or operate in southern Lebanon.

Any sale, supply or production of weapons or weapons-related materials to Lebanon will be under the supervision and control of the Lebanese government.

All unauthorized facilities related to the production of weapons and weapons-related materials will be dismantled.

All military infrastructure and sites will be dismantled, and all unauthorized weapons that do not comply with these commitments will be confiscated.

A committee acceptable to Israel and Lebanon will be established to monitor and assist in the implementation of these commitments.

Israel and Lebanon will inform the committee and UNIFIL of any potential violations of their commitments.

Lebanon will deploy its official security forces and military forces at all borders, crossings, and along the line defining the southern border area.

Israel will gradually deploy its forces south of the Blue Line over a period of 60 days.

The United States will work to strengthen indirect negotiations between Israel and Lebanon to reach recognized land borders.

The weak spots of the agreement in the Israeli reaction

Although Netanyahu tried to talk about maintaining the regime's ability to act against Lebanon in his speech, the first reactions of his allies in the cabinet and the opposition emphasized Israel's acceptance of defeat.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's Minister of national security and one of the most hardline figures in the cabinet, did not hide his opposition in response to the news of the imminent ceasefire announcement, saying that the agreement with Lebanon was "signed on ice" having in mind that Hezbollah would return with its weapons.

The Israel Radio and Television Corporation quoted Ben-Gvir as saying that the war in Lebanon "should end when Israel defeats the other side." This statement meant accepting Hezbollah's victory in the war.

Israel media reported that Israeli PM approved the agreement through the security cabinet and not through the government cabinet because he was aware of the possible opposition of cabinet members who would consider it an admission of defeat, and in fact, the agreement was accepted only by Netanyahu.

Ingmar Lieberman, one of the right-wing figures in the regime's politics, wrote in a short op-ed: "Netanyahu spoke of a final and absolute victory, but did not say which side won. A ceasefire = surrender to Hezbollah."

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, according to some senior political and security officials, has announced the weaknesses of this agreement as follows:

There is no buffer zone that keeps Lebanese elements away from the line of conflict.

There is no explicit authorization for Israel to attack Lebanon in the event of any violation.

It does not guarantee damage to Hezbollah's economic project.

Those implementing this agreement in southern Lebanon are the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL.

Benny Gantz, a former member of the war cabinet and an opponent of Netanyahu's plans to make a deal with Hamas to release Israeli prisoners in Gaza, for his part rejected the PM's words about achieving the war goals in Lebanon, saying that there could be no talk of a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon, stressing that withdrawing troops now would make it difficult for Israel and then make it easier for Hezbollah to reorganize.

Gantz stressed: "Avoid misbehaving or missing the opportunity to reach a strong agreement to fundamentally change the situation in the north."

Opposition leader Yair Lapid also considered accepting the ceasefire agreement a belated move, saying that the agreement with Lebanon was the right one 10 months ago.

Regarding the prisoners in Gaza, Lapid said that what would bring them back is an agreement that could have reached last April or July.