With the impending Trump presidency on January 20th, an agreement has been reached between Israel and Hezbollah for a ceasefire. The details will be announced tonight, but we know that it calls for a 60 day truce--you know, like when Donald Trump is sworn into office.
Naturally, Kamala Harris will take credit for the ceasefire after her return from vacation in Hawaii, and Joe Biden will announce it from where he may have wandered off to.
The deal was brokered by the United States and France, a country that has been proudly showing their anti-Semitic bona fides.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati is scheduled to deliver a statement welcoming the agreement, while Israel’s government is expected to give final approval during a cabinet meeting.
The deal was brokered by the United States and France, a country that has been proudly showing their anti-Semitic bona fides.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati is scheduled to deliver a statement welcoming the agreement, while Israel’s government is expected to give final approval during a cabinet meeting.
Defense Minister Yisrael Katz has vowed to respond forcefully to any violations, warning Hezbollah against exploiting the truce to rebuild its military presence. In other words, if Hezbollah tries to regroup, especially by the border, Israel will react.
“We will act against any threat, anytime and anywhere,” Katz told UN Special Envoy for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
“We will act against any threat, anytime and anywhere,” Katz told UN Special Envoy for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
The IDF will withdraw from southern Lebanon, thus allowing the Lebanese army to deploy 5,000 troops in the region. Hezbollah is also required to cease its armed activities south of the Litani River, aligning with the long-standing but weakly enforced UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Nobody should be surprised that the UN is not doing its job.
Defense Minister Katz warned that Israel would monitor the truce very closely. “Every house in southern Lebanon that is rebuilt and in which a terrorist base is established will be demolished,” Katz said. “Every rearming and regrouping by terrorists will be attacked.”
Responsibility for maintaining the ceasefire lies with the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). UNIFIL, which is as useless as a soft rubber crutch for its inability to enforce demilitarization, will work alongside the Lebanese government to implement the agreement. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib naively expressed optimism, highlighting U.S. aid as critical for rebuilding infrastructure destroyed during recent Israeli strikes.
Israeli officials insist that strict oversight is essential to prevent arms smuggling and domestic weapons production by Hezbollah. “If you don’t do it, we will,” Katz warned UN officials.
As I am writing this, it has been reported that Hezbollah has already attacked Israeli locations, including central Israel. The time in Israel is about 0100 and there is three hours to go before the ceasefire is official. There have been no Israeli casualties reported at this time.
The Lebanese army has moved toward the southern part of the country, but the IDF will remain in Lebanon to monitor.
The world is watching to see what happens next--stay tuned.
The world is watching to see what happens next--stay tuned.
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