Israel demands border safety before stopping Lebanon conflict


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ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon hinged upon Israel’s security demands being met, allowing Israeli citizens evacuated from the border region to safely return to their homes.

Media reports have speculated about advancements in reaching a ceasefire. The United States presented Lebanon with its proposals for a ceasefire last week, and Iran — which arms and funds Hezbollah — appeared to give Lebanon the green light to negotiate an agreement to end a conflict where Iran’s military and terrorist capabilities have been severely diminished.

The proposed deal would reportedly involve a return to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 of 2006, which ended the Second Lebanon War. “That resolution required Hezbollah to withdraw from the border, northward of the Litani River, and also requires Hezbollah to be disarmed.” However, this resolution has never been enforced — neither by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), nor by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping outfit.

The new ceasefire proposal purportedly includes novel enforcement mechanisms, including Israel’s right to cross into Lebanon in the future to defend itself against Hezbollah and remove it from the border if necessary.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stated that this provision remained a sticking point in the negotiations between the various parties.

When asked about progress during a daily briefing, the Israeli government spokesperson said: “When it comes to Lebanon, you know that our aim … is to get our people home, to get the rocket fire stopped, the mortars stopped, the UAVs stopped. So on negotiations for a ceasefire in Lebanon, the United States and other countries are leading the negotiations to return quiet to the north. But I’ll be very straight with you: the military campaign will continue until the immediate threat from Lebanon is removed, and our people, Israelis living in their own sovereign territory, in their own homes, can safely return to their homes. That’s when the conflict will end in our north, and not a moment before.”

It remains unclear whether the Biden-Harris administration’s envoy to Lebanon, Amos Hochstein, will return to the region this week.