Israel has approved a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah after decimating the terrorist group with pager bombs and assassinating its leaders. The halt to fighting follows Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in September, carried out in response to the horror October 7 terror attack.
The Israeli cabinet approved the deal, with the ceasefire set to begin at 4am local time on Wednesday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had crippled Hezbollah, allowing citizens in the north to return to their homes. He stated, “Hezbollah chose to attack us from there on the eighth of October. A year has passed – this is no longer the same Hezbollah.”
Netanyahu also vowed to strike Hezbollah again if it were to break the ceasefire, stating, “If Hezbollah tries to attack us, if it arms itself and rebuilds infrastructure near the border, we will attack. For every violation, we will attack with might.”
The deal involves Israeli troops withdrawing from southern Lebanon and Lebanon’s army deploying to the area currently controlled by the IDF. Hezbollah will also have to end its presence south of Lebanon’s Litani river, approximately 20 miles from the border with Israel. This is intended to protect Israeli citizens living in the north from short-range rocket strikes and surprise terror attacks.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel has vowed to continue the war against Hamas, which carried out the October 7 terror attack. The US has praised the deal, with President Joe Biden stating that the US will renew its push for peace across the region.