The Israeli Cabinet has now voted in favour of a US/French ceasefire proposal, which had already been accepted by Hezbollah and Lebanon. The deal will see Israeli forces withdraw from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah withdraw weapons north of the Litani river, and the Lebanese army deployed alongside the existing UN peacekeeping force in the border zone between the Litani and Israel. It is set to last for sixty days.
Lebanon: a temporary ceasefire – but what about Gaza?
The ceasefire was agreed only hours after Israel targeted a building near Khatem al-Anbiyaa Mosque in Al-Nuwairi area of Beirut. The strike killed at least seven and wounded at least thirty-seven.
This temporary ceasefire will do little to change the context of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which has now been conducted for over a year and continues to rage on, bolstered by Western complicity and despite the issuing of arrest warrants of suspected Israeli war criminals by the International Criminal Court and the July 2024 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.
Suzanne Takkenberg, Action Against Hunger’s country director in Lebanon:
The 60-day ceasefire between Hezbollah, Lebanon, and Israel is a vital opportunity to save lives and provide more urgent humanitarian relief. However, the situation remains fragile, and violations of the ceasefire could derail critical efforts to assist affected communities. We therefore urge the international community to closely monitor compliance and support initiatives fostering stability in the region.
Efforts must continue to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza, laying the groundwork for lasting peace. Immediate priorities should focus on supporting displaced families, addressing the widespread destruction of thousands of homes, and repairing extensive damage to public infrastructure. Providing food, water, healthcare, and essential services to affected populations is critical.
We urge all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, facilitate unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, and protect civilians and critical infrastructure. But above all, the international community must prioritise fostering meaningful dialogue toward sustainable peace.
The deal will at least temporarily end the 14 months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, which was launched by the militant group at the commencement of Israel’s onslaught in Gaza.
More violations of international law
For the first 11 months, the fighting largely consisted of rocket exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel. In mid-September, escalation by Israel saw two successive attacks which utilised explosives planted in pagers and other electronic devices used by Hezbollah, as well as by civilians in Lebanon including medics. The attacks were condemned by UN experts as a ‘terrifying violation of international law’.
Launched soon after, Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon – aiming to secure the area south of the Litani – has largely failed. Israel has meanwhile overseen a drastic escalation of its deployment of airstrikes against Lebanon. In attacks mirroring those in Gaza, intensive bombardments of residential units have levelled entire neighbourhoods of Beirut, while also devastating the East’s Bekaa Valley and reaching as far as North Lebanon’s Aitou. At least 3,670 people have been killed in Lebanon since October 2023, and over 15,000 injured.
Targeted killings of journalists and medics in Lebanon have been widely condemned by rights groups, and represent once again Israel’s wilful non-adherence to customary norms of international law.
Three humanitarian medical professionals who have volunteered in hospitals in both Gaza and in Lebanon over the period October 2023 to now are available for comment or interview on these developments, including Professor Ghassan Abu Sittah.
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians said:
The prospect of a ceasefire in Lebanon is welcome news – but we can’t consider it in isolation from Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. We have seen the gravest of all crimes committed uninterrupted for over a year in Gaza, and they have been mirrored more recently in Lebanon. It is a failure of both their morality and diplomacy that Western allies of Israel have not forced them to bring that onslaught to a close.
Featured image via the Canary
