Ceasefire Agreement Reached Abruptly 13 Months After War Outbreak
Effective at 4 AM Local Time on the 27th
Netanyahu Warns "Will Attack If Agreement Is Broken"
On the 26th (local time), Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, who have been engaged in war in Lebanon for over a year, suddenly agreed to a temporary ceasefire. Accordingly, airstrikes and clashes between the two sides will be suspended for 60 days starting from 4 a.m. on the 27th. In Korean time, this will be from 11 a.m. today.
According to CNN and other broadcasters, the Israeli Security Cabinet led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted on the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon that evening, passing it with 10 votes in favor and 1 against.
In a video speech, Prime Minister Netanyahu explained the background of the ceasefire agreement, saying, "With the ceasefire in Lebanon, we can focus on the threat from Iran," and "We will reorganize and rearm the Israeli military and isolate Hamas in the Gaza Strip." Regarding the duration of the ceasefire, he said, "It depends on what happens in Lebanon." This is a warning that if Hezbollah violates the ceasefire agreement and attacks, Israel will respond more strongly. He raised his voice, saying, "If Hezbollah tries to attack us, arms itself, and rebuilds infrastructure near the border, we will launch an attack."
U.S. President Joe Biden, who proposed the ceasefire plan, also confirmed the ceasefire agreement between the two sides in a speech at the White House Rose Garden on the same day. President Biden called it "good news" and announced, "According to the agreement reached today, the war crossing the Lebanon-Israel border will end at 4 a.m. tomorrow (the 27th) local time." He explained that under the ceasefire plan, the Israeli military will gradually withdraw troops from Lebanon over the next 60 days, and the Lebanese army and national security forces will be deployed in the border area. He also mentioned that U.S. troops will not be deployed in southern Lebanon.
This ceasefire agreement was reached about 13 months after Israel was ambushed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in October last year and began fighting with Hezbollah. It has been about two months since the Israeli military launched the so-called "Arrow of the North" operation targeting Hezbollah and entered ground combat in Lebanon. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 3,823 people have died and 15,859 have been injured in Lebanon since October last year.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced on the 26th (local time) in a speech at the White House Rose Garden that Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire. Photo by EPA Yonhap News
President Biden said, "This agreement marks the beginning of Lebanon," and predicted it would also help maintain Lebanon's sovereignty. He also emphasized that he would continue to push for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, saying, "Just as the Lebanese people deserve a future of security and prosperity, so do the people of the (Palestinian) Gaza Strip." He urged a ceasefire, stating, "The people of Gaza have endured hell, and their world has been completely shattered," and "The only way out left for Hamas is to release the remaining hostages and end the war."
However, Prime Minister Netanyahu had already made it clear in his video speech that the ceasefire in Lebanon is separate from the Gaza Strip war. He cited the threat from Iran and the isolation of Hamas as reasons for the ceasefire, saying, "Our pressure on Hamas will intensify, and this will help us recover the hostages."
Even after the announcement that the ceasefire had been achieved, Israeli airstrikes continued around Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Until just before, the Israeli military bombed about 180 Hezbollah targets in Beirut, the southern border area, and other locations. This is interpreted as a final warning to Hezbollah not to violate the agreement and as a reflection of domestic public opinion opposing the ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained the ceasefire policy in a video speech released on the evening of the 26th (local time), stating, "With a ceasefire in Lebanon, we will be able to focus on the threat from Iran." Photo by Xinhua-Yonhap News
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's far-right Minister of National Security, criticized the ceasefire agreement as a "historic mistake." Major foreign media reported that Ben-Gvir was the one who voted against the agreement in the cabinet vote that day. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he claimed, "This is not a ceasefire. It is a return to the concept of silence for silence, and we have already seen where this leads," arguing that the war will eventually resume.
The international community welcomed the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon but expressed concern that the war in the Gaza Strip continues and airstrikes could resume at any time. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire agreement in a phone call with President Biden. He also expressed gratitude to the United States and France, who led the agreement, via his X account, saying, "This will be a fundamental step toward restoring peace and stability in Lebanon and allowing displaced people to return to their villages and cities."
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Union (EU) Commission, also welcomed it as "very encouraging news." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, "It will provide some relief to civilians in northern Lebanon and Israel," but added, "This agreement must transition into a sustainable political solution for Lebanon. Immediate progress on a ceasefire agreement, the release of all hostages, and humanitarian aid access are needed in the Gaza Strip as well."
ActionAid, a non-governmental organization for global poverty eradication, issued a statement on the same day, pointing out that the ceasefire is not a long-term solution, saying, "Do the people of Lebanon have to live in uncertainty until bombs fall on their homes again?" They criticized, "The important point is that there is still no ceasefire close in the Gaza Strip," and "Israel continues to carry out mass killings in Gaza."
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