President Joe Biden announced late yesterday that Israel has agreed to a cease-fire agreement with Hezbollah that would end nearly 14 months of fighting.
Biden, who made the announcement from the White House Rose Garden, said that Israel and Lebanon agreed to the deal.
Under the agreement, Israel retains the right to self-defense should Hezbollah break the pact, Biden said.
“Let’s be clear. Israel did not launch this war. The Lebanese people did not seek that war either. Nor did the United States,” Biden said. “Security for the people of Israel and Lebanon cannot be achieved only on the battlefield. And that’s why I directed my team to work with the governments of Israel and Lebanon, to forge a cease-fire, to bring a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah to a close.”
“This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities,” Biden added.
“What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed. Well, I emphasize, will not be allowed to threaten the security of Israel again.”
In a prepared joint statement with Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, both leaders said the cease-fire would restore calm and allow residents of both countries to return to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line, the demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Biden and “thanked him for the US involvement in achieving the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and for the understanding that Israel maintains freedom of action in enforcing it,” his office said.
Netanyahu laid out three reasons in support of the deal: to focus on the Iranian threat; provide an opportunity to refresh the Israeli forces; and separate Hamas from the northern front.
The conflict in Lebanon began when Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, initiated strikes into Israel’s north after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Since the back-and-forth began, Israel has killed many of Hezbollah’s leaders, in addition to degrading its infrastructure in Lebanon.
By ending the conflict with Hezbollah, Netanyahu said Hamas would stand alone in the Gaza Strip, clearing the way for Israeli forces to recover the remaining Oct. 7 hostages.
Under the proposed terms of an initial two-month cease-fire, Hezbollah would have been required to move its forces north of the Litani River – a significant focal point which in some places is 20 miles from the Israeli border – and Israeli forces must withdraw from southern Lebanon as well. The Lebanese armed forces are to deploy to the border region within 60 days, and a five-country committee chaired by the U.S., and including France, would monitor compliance of the terms of the deal, Reuters reported.
This in an on-going story. Check back for more developments.