What’s in the near-finalized, US-brokered Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal
Reports say US will head oversight panel that includes France; no Israeli security zone in Lebanon; civilians to return to their homes in south Lebanon; IDF to leave within 60 days
As Israel gears up to sign a US-brokered ceasefire with Lebanon, and by extension with the Hezbollah terror group, these are the key points of the deal that have been revealed so far, according to officials who have briefed the media.
The deal that would end the fighting on the northern front calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon, and Hezbollah would end its armed presence south of the Litani River, which is about 18 miles from the border with Israel.
As Israeli forces withdraw from southern Lebanon, the Lebanese army will deploy thousands of soldiers into these vacated areas, alongside the UN observer force that is already in place.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, there is no intention for Israel to set up a buffer area inside Lebanon, similar to the security zone that it occupied from 1982 until 2000. Troops will completely withdraw to the international border.
In addition, Lebanese civilians will be allowed to return to their homes in the southern Lebanon villages and towns they evacuated.
The TV report said that Lebanon has committed to overseeing all arms purchases and arms production in the country to ensure that nothing reaches Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has for years been smuggling in vast stockpiles of weapons from Iran and set up missile production factories.
Officials said that Israel demanded further guarantees to ensure that Hezbollah’s weapons were removed from the border area.
Side letter on Israel’s right to respond to immediate threats
A key sticking point in negotiations had been Israel’s demand for freedom of action in case Hezbollah violates the agreement.
Israeli officials, also concerned about the possibility of Hezbollah launching an attack similar to the one that Hamas carried out from Gaza into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, have said they would not agree to a ceasefire deal that doesn’t explicitly grant them freedom to strike in Lebanon if they believe Hezbollah is violating its provisions.
Lebanese officials have said agreeing to such a deal would violate Lebanon’s sovereignty. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has said the terror group would not accept an agreement that does not entail a “complete and comprehensive end to the aggression” and does not protect Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Under the near-finished deal, Channel 12 reported, a US side letter will state clearly that Israel has the right to act whenever it sees an “immediate threat” from Lebanon.
The report added that the US has indicated in recent days that if Israel sees a need to act against threats that can be tackled on Syrian territory, rather than on Lebanese territory, that would be preferable.
Israel has said it will act against any Hezbollah presence in southern Lebanon as necessary, either directly or by notifying the Lebanese Army via the US.
US and French roles
Lebanon and Israel had disagreed over which countries would sit on the international committee overseeing implementation of the deal and UN Security Council Resolution 1701. That resolution was passed in 2006 to end a monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah. It, too, required Hezbollah to disarm and retreat north of the Litani, but it was never fully implemented.
According to Hebrew media reports, it was eventually agreed that the US will head the international body overseeing the deal’s implementation, and France will sit on that panel.
Israel had pushed back on France being on the panel amid increasing mistrust in Paris. President Emmanuel Macron expressed his solidarity with Israel following the October 7 attack but has gradually intensified his criticism of Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza since.
Channel 12 said that US envoy Amos Hochstein made clear to Israel that there would be no deal if France were not a member of the international oversight body.
Lebanon had been refusing to allow the UK to be part of the committee. It was unclear Monday if Lebanese officials had dropped their opposition following Israel’s concession regarding France.
It was also not immediately clear how the committee would be effective in overseeing the agreement. After the 2006 adoption of Resolution 1701, Hezbollah never ended its presence in southern Lebanon, while Lebanon said Israel regularly violated its airspace.
Channel 12 said there was near-unanimous support for the deal from Israel’s politicians and defense establishment participants during Sunday night’s security consultation led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It said unspecified strategic implications were highlighted, as were considerations regarding Donald Trump’s imminent return to the US presidency, along with considerations regarding arms supplies.
At that meeting, the network reported, Netanyahu said that the deal would leave Hamas isolated in Gaza and raise the chances of a hostage deal.
Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel on October 8, 2023, a day after the Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people and saw another 251 taken hostage.
For much of that time, Hezbollah had said it would only end hostilities once the Gaza war came to an end.
However, Israel sent ground forces into south Lebanon on October 1 as part of its stepped-up offensive against Hezbollah. It also killed much of Hezbollah’s top leadership in a series of strikes, including long-time chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel’s main goal in the north has been to push Hezbollah away from the border and to allow safe conditions for tens of thousands of evacuated citizens to return to their homes.
The government will not call upon northerners who evacuated their homes to return immediately, once the expected ceasefire deal with Hezbollah takes effect, the Kan public broadcaster reported.
According to the report, Israel wants to first ensure extended quiet along the border before telling residents that it is safe to go home — which could take a few weeks to a couple of months.
