Hezbollah says it is capable of fighting a long war despite being dealt heavy blows by Israel [Fadel Itani/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty]
Lebanese officials are reviewing a US-Israeli ceasefire proposal that includes strict measures for southern Lebanon, though doubts remain about its viability.
The draft deal was reportedly handed to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday by the US ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson. It was then passed onto the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
A response by Hezbollah and Lebanese officials is expected in the coming days, Israel’s Kan broadcaster said Friday. Earlier reports suggested Lebanon was given a 24-hour ultimatum.
It comes after weeks of negotiations being led by the US with Israeli officials, who visited Washington recently to agree on the wording of the proposal. Key American negotiator Amos Hochstein had expressed optimism that a deal could be reached soon.
There are unconfirmed reports of an upcoming visit to Beirut, with Thursday’s updates suggesting Hochstein will only go if Lebanon makes a breakthrough.
US president-elect Donald Trump gave the green light to the proposal last weekend during a meeting with Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, according to The Wall Street Journal. Trump expressed hope that an agreement would be implemented before he takes office in January.
Dermer, Israel’s previous ambassador to the US, was in Florida and Washington DC to discuss the war on Lebanon.
On Thursday, Israel’s foreign and energy ministers had both said there was progress in the talks but stressed that Hezbollah must not be allowed to rearm, including via neighbouring Syria, which has been bombed repeatedly in recent days.
Israel’s military has warned that it will take action in Syria to stop the arms smuggling to Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying on Friday it targeted another border crossing between the two countries, claiming it was used to transport weapons.
‘Our sovereignty is a red line’
But despite the supposed progress and optimism shared by some, others are sceptical.
Israel remains adamant to maintain the right to attack Lebanon if it deems necessary – Tel Aviv wants US guarantees that its forces will be able to raid Lebanese territory if Hezbollah tries to rebuild its military capabilities after the war, and if the Lebanese military and UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) do not prevent Hezbollah from doing so
Beirut is expected to refuse that demand.
“We are serious in implementing a ceasefire deal and do not want war, but it needs to be two-sided. The other side needs to also be realistic – Israel cannot force Lebanon to compromise over its own sovereignty, this is a red line,” Lebanon’s caretaker Culture Minister Mohamad Mortada told TNA.
Mortada reiterated the stance taken by Lebanese officials repeatedly, which is the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701.
That deal ended the 2006 summer war between Hezbollah and Israel but was never fully implemented. It calls for the disarmament of all groups in southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese army alongside the UNIFIL, and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from disputed territories.
“There is already an arrangement that regulates the relationship between Lebanon and Israel, and that is 1701,” Mortada said.
He ruled out any amendments to the UN resolution, saying it was impossible for Lebanon to accept any demand that Israel could later use to violate Lebanese sovereignty.
Contrary to reports of a weakened Hezbollah due to the heavy blows it’s been dealt by Israel, the minister said it was Israel who was trying to save itself from the war, after failing to achieve any of its objectives.
“Israel’s prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] told his people the war’s aim is to return residents of the north to their home, but it has failed to do so. In fact, more people have evacuated,” said Mortada, referring to Hezbollah’s ongoing firing of projectiles across the border.
Asked about a potential buffer zone in southern Lebanon and Israel’s scorched earth strategy that has seen dozens of Lebanese border villages detonated and the soil contaminated through the use of white phosphorus, Mortada insisted this will not help Israel achieve its war goals.
“Let’s agree that their [Israel’s] success or failure is not a subjective matter and judge it based on what they said. Netanyahu announced he wants to return residents to the north. Has their destruction of the border villages helped? It hasn’t,” Mortada told TNA.
Mortada said Hezbollah had no option but to continue with this war if Israel remains fixated on its demand to violate Lebanese sovereignty.
“Either you continue with the fight, or you concede. The confrontation is costing us a lot, but we have no other option.”
TNA contacted UNIFIL for comment.
‘A long-term solution’
A source at the US Embassy in Lebanon considers the current proposal satisfactory for all sides of the conflict.
“The ceasefire agreement proposal is based on UNSCR 1701, and it contains a balanced and consensual formula that will satisfy all parties,” the diplomatic source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed’s Beirut reporter, Rita El Jammal.
“We hope that we will reach an agreement soon, as there is an opportunity today for a settlement and negotiations to end the war, restore stability, and return the displaced from both sides.”
It said Washington was making great efforts to try and reach a solution as soon as possible, especially in light of Israel’s dangerous escalation in recent days.
Beirut’s southern suburbs have been hit nonstop for four consecutive days, levelling buildings and ravaging entire neighbourhoods. Scores of civilians have been killed in the eastern Baalbek-Hermel region and south Lebanon.
“The US is of course seeking long-term solutions, so as not to repeat the conflict in the future. The priority today is to the end this war and then discuss [outstanding] controversial issues,” the US Embassy source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, TNA’s sister site.
During his last visit to Beirut, Hochstein had said the Biden administration wanted to end the conflict between Lebanon and enemy state Israel “once and for all.”
(Rita El Jammal from Al-Araby Al-Jadeed contributed to this report)
