After 14 months of fighting and 3,823 deaths, the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday. The peace deal, brokered by the United States and France, was passed by the Israeli security cabinet in a 10-1 vote. The fighting came to an end at Israeli local time 4 am.
The deal was announced by US President Joe Biden on Tuesday. "This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities," Biden said. "What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organisations will not be allowed to threaten the security of Israel again," he said, adding that civilians on both sides will soon be able to return to their communities safely.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to the deal by stating that Israel would still respond forcefully to any violation by Hezbollah. "We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. Together, we will continue until victory," Netanyahu said. "In full coordination with the United States, we retain complete military freedom of action. Should Hezbollah violate the agreement or attempt to rearm, we will strike decisively."
Stating that the pact would allow Israel to focus on the threat from Iran, replenish depleted arms supplies, give the army a rest, and isolate Hamas, the Prime Minister claimed the war has weakened Hezbollah, setting it back decades by eliminating its top leaders and destroying weapons and terror infrastructure.
What the pact entails
As per the current pact, Israel will gradually withdraw its forces over 60 days. While Hezbollah fighters are expected to retreat some 40 kilometres from the Israel-Lebanon border, the IDF will withdraw from Lebanese territory. Lebanon's army will take control of the border with Israel and will deploy at least 5,000 troops to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its infrastructure near the south of the country’s Litani River.
The United Nations peacekeeping troops and a multinational committee will monitor Hezbollah's movements.
This time, there will be an enforcement mechanism chaired by the US which will also have France as a member. The committee made up of diplomats and military personnel who will adjudicate complaints from either side regarding potential ceasefire violations. The panel will also work to ensure that the Lebanese army is properly trained and equipped to ensure the ceasefire’s implementation
The 2006 pact and its pitfalls
The current pact was negotiated on the basis of the 2006 UN pact called 'Resolution 1701' that came into place following the Second Lebanon war which stipulated that only armed group in the area south of Lebanon’s Litani River should be the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon called UNIFIL. The UN also set a so-called Blue Line as part of the pact which saw Israeli forces withdraw from southern Lebanon, the area which now serves as a border.
However, Israel claims that Hezbollah never withdrew, and UNIFIL was never able to perform that task. The UN forces did not prosecute violations that happened after.
"The idea here is that unlike in 2006, where the international community reached an agreement and then abandoned the scene, here we remain committed to be on the ground, day to day, to watch what's happening," a senior Biden administration official told The Jerusalem Post.
The international community is determined to learn from the mistakes of the past when Hezbollah was the only organisation involved in the reconstruction of Lebanon, the official added.
The Times of Israel quoted a US official who said the enforcement committee will not be "mailbox" like it was in the years following the Second Lebanon War. "Instead, it will operate as a live messaging service, making sure that whenever there is a view of a violation — specifically a serious violation — it is addressed immediately," the official added.