Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. There is also talk about a possible Gaza ceasefire. Photo: WFP/Ali Jadallah
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 60-day ceasefire which may stop Hezbollah attacks and withdraw Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.
The ceasefire was announced by US President Joe Biden and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
Under the deal, Israeli troops are to withdraw from southern Lebanon while Hezbollah fighters will pull back north of the Litani River.
The Israeli leader said overnight that his Security Cabinet voted 10-1 in favour of the ceasefire but also sounded a warning.
“The length of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon,” he said.
“With the United States’s full understanding, we maintain full freedom of military action,” the leader said.
“If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to arm itself, we will attack.
“If it tries to rebuild 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.”
OVERSEAS REACTION
The US Department of Defence (DoD) will play a role in the ceasefire, said Pentagon spokesman Major-General Pat Ryder.
“We’re, of course, strongly supportive of a ceasefire,” he said.
“We’re consulting closely with our interagency partners in terms of what potential contributions the DoD can make.”
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has killed about 3800 people and wounded about 16,000, according to Lebanese officials.
“We’ve seen diplomatic means as key to enabling both Lebanese and Israeli citizens to return to their homes on both sides of the blue line,” Ryder said.
He said the US wants to see a ceasefire in Gaza as well.
“Certainly, we still want to see a situation in Gaza where there is a ceasefire, so that we can increase the flow of humanitarian assistance and restore a sense of stability and security in that region,” he said.
There is “a lot of potential good could come out of this ceasefire (with Lebanon)”, Ryder told journalists at a Pentagon briefing when pressed further about a Gaza deal.
Biden says the US will join Turkey, Egypt and Qatar in pushing for a Gaza deal, according to US media outlets.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says a political settlement is the only way to secure peace and security for the Lebanese and Israeli people.
“The devastation from this conflict is appalling and the human suffering must be addressed,” he said.
He reaffirmed the UK continual support for UNIFIL along the Blue Line and the Lebanese military.
