Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approves ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah

Lebanese government is expected to formally endorse deal on Wednesday morning

A member of the Israeli security forces inspects a house damaged by a Hezbollah rocket in the northern border town of Kiryat Shmona. AFP

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had approved a ceasefire agreement with the Iran-backed Hezbollah on Tuesday, paving the way for a deal that would end the most destructive conflict between the two sides.

Lebanon, represented by Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, who negotiated on behalf of Hezbollah, also endorsed the agreement. Its government is expected to formally vote on it on Wednesday morning.

"It's time for a ceasefire," Mr Netanyahu said in a speech on Tuesday, adding that he is presenting the deal to the cabinet for approval. "We are maintaining our full liberty to take military operations," he clarified.

"With the United States' full understanding, we maintain full freedom of military action. If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack. If it tries to rebuild terrorist infrastructure near the border, we will attack. If it launches a rocket, if it digs a tunnel, if it brings in a truck carrying rockets, we will attack."

However, a government source in Beirut told The National that Lebanese officials had not been informed of any agreement to grant Israel the freedom of action against Hezbollah in Lebanon. “Lebanon does not have any information, nor has it received any document that includes terms of action for Israel's self-defence or freedom of movement,” the source said.

“Any bilateral agreement between the United States and Israel is not binding on Lebanon as it is a side agreement and Lebanon has nothing to do with it,” he added.

Negotiations, mediated by US envoy Amos Hochstein, entered their critical stage last week, with the main point of contention being the interpretation of a clause on “self-defence”. Officials in Lebanon firmly rejected any clause that Israel could use to breach Lebanese sovereignty, including its airspace, as it has done in recent years. Senior Israeli officials have demanded the right to act against Hezbollah even if a ceasefire is agreed on.

One solution that was proposed to address the issue was for Israel to be able to lodge complaints with the committee, which would then relay them to the Lebanese Army and UN peacekeepers and set a deadline for action before Israel can intervene, sources told The National at the time.

The conflict began on October 8 last year, a day after Hamas launched an attack on Israel, marking the start of the Gaza war. Hezbollah entered the war in support of its ally Hamas, leading to a series of cross-border confrontations that escalated into a full-scale war.

Many of Hezbollah's senior commanders have been killed during Israeli air and ground assaults, which also caused the deaths of thousands of Lebanese, the displacement of millions and widespread devastation in Lebanon. Just hours before the ceasefire was announced, Israel launched its biggest wave of strikes on the capital Beirut, destroying dozens of buildings and homes in two minutes after the Israeli military issued eviction orders to residents of dozens of buildings.

The high cost

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon. In turn, Beirut will post troops along the border, while Hezbollah fighters retreat. The agreement includes the establishment of a US-led committee to oversee the transition to a permanent ceasefire.

"The Lebanese army will abide by the ceasefire agreement and send troops to the southern borders," a senior government official in Beirut told The National before the formal cabinet meeting.

“The agreement includes stages extending over 60 days: a ceasefire, the beginning of the Israeli withdrawal, the beginning of the deployment of the Lebanese army, and supervision of the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the south of the Litani River,” said the source.

A damaged room inside an apartment after Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, on November 26. Reuters

The cost has been high on both sides of the conflict. Thousands have been killed in Lebanon and millions have been displaced. In Israel, rocket, drone and missile salvos launched by Hezbollah killed nearly 50 civilians, including foreign workers. According to the Israeli military, Hezbollah has fired more than 16,000 rockets, leading to the displacement of more than 65,000 people from northern Israel.

"The duration of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon," Mr Netanyahu said in his video statement announcing his decision.

"It is no longer the same Hezbollah" after a year of fighting, he claimed. "We have eliminated all the senior leaders of the organisation, destroyed most of its missiles and rockets, eliminated thousands of terrorists and destroyed the underground and terrorist infrastructures near our border."

He added that there were three reasons for the timing of the ceasefire.

The first reason is to focus on "the Iranian threat," on which he said he would not elaborate. The second reason was the "renewal and rearming of forces," while the final motive was to isolate Hamas in Gaza.

"A good deal is a deal that is enforced, and we will enforce it," emphasised the Israeli Prime Minister.