US President Joe Biden speaks about a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, in the Rose Garden of the White House on November 26, 2024, in Washington, DC. Image: AFP
(The Post News)- A ceasefire between Israel and Iran-supported organization Hezbollah started at 0200 GMT on Wednesday following US President Joe Biden’s announcement that both parties agreed to a deal facilitated by the United States and France.
Gunfire erupted throughout Beirut following the implementation of the ceasefire. It was not immediately obvious if the gunfire was meant for celebration, as it had also been used to warn residents who may have missed evacuation alerts from Israel’s military.
The ceasefire aims to bring an end to a conflict along the Israeli-Lebanese border that started during the Gaza war last year and resulted in the deaths of thousands.
Biden addressed the media at the White House on Tuesday right after Israel’s security cabinet gave their approval to the agreement in a 10-1 vote. He mentioned having discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and declared that the conflict would cease at 4 am local time (0200 GMT).
Netanyahu declared his readiness to enforce a ceasefire agreement and stated that he would react strongly to any breach by Hezbollah. Despite facing resistance from some members of his coalition government, he mentioned that the ceasefire would enable Israel to concentrate on the threat posed by Iran, restock arms supplies, allow the army to rest, and to isolate Hamas, the militant group responsible for instigating conflict by attacking Israel from Gaza last year.
Biden announced that Israel will slowly remove its troops in a span of 60 days while Lebanon’s army gains control of the area near Israel’s border to prevent Hezbollah from reconstructing its infrastructure.
Biden, set to exit office in January, stated that his administration will keep working towards a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement in Gaza, along with a deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Before the ceasefire, Israel increased its airstrikes in Beirut and other areas of Lebanon, resulting in at least 18 deaths according to health authorities.
Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a conservative part of Netanyahu’s administration, stated on X that the deal did not guarantee the repatriation of Israelis to their residences in the northern region and that the Lebanese military lacked the capability to defeat Hezbollah.
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