Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he will recommend a proposal for a ceasefire with Hezbollah to his cabinet for approval, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
In a television address, Mr Netanyahu said he would put the ceasefire accord to his full cabinet later in the evening. Israeli TV reported that the more restricted security cabinet had earlier approved the deal.
“We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. Together, we will continue until victory,” he said.
“In full co-ordination with the United States, we retain complete military freedom of action. Should Hezbollah violate the agreement or attempt to rearm, we will strike decisively.”
Earlier, Lebanese officials said Hezbollah also supports such a deal. If approved by all sides, the deal would be a major step toward ending the Israel-Hezbollah war that has inflamed tensions across the region and raised fears of an even wider conflict between Israel and Hezbollah’s patron, Iran.
The deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border.
Thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides’ compliance.
But implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations.
In his address, Mr Netanyahu added that there were three reasons to pursue a ceasefire – to focus on Iran, replenish depleted arms supplies and give the army a rest, and finally to isolate Hamas, the militant group that triggered war in the region when it launched an attack on Israel from Gaza last year.
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Netanyahu backs ceasefire deal with Lebanon’s Hezbollah (Sydney Morning Herald)
