Israeli media has revealed what the main points of contention are when it comes to agreeing on a truce with Lebanon [Getty]
An Israeli newspaper has revealed the main points of contention which are stopping a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah from coming into fruition, as the death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon continues to mount.
According to Israel Today, there are two main points of disagreement which have stopped a potential deal from being agreed, with the first being France’s involvement in supervising the implementation of the agreement.
This is due to France’s President Emmanuel Macron allegedly making statements “against Israel” as well as France’s reaction to arrest warrants issued against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes in Gaza.
Israel Today quoted sources as saying that “Israel is prepared to introduce French soldiers only in the implementation phase, while Lebanon is demanding greater participation”.
The sources added that the “expected solution is a joint supervision mechanism between the United States and an Arab country that is yet to be chosen”.
Israel’s Channel 12 also reported that Israel insists France cannot be a part of the agreement or be a member of the international committee that will see it through, due to “its perceived hostility towards Israel in recent months under President Emmanuel Macron’s administration”.
The second point of disagreement is related to the US and Lebanon’s demand to include a clause in the agreement requiring immediate discussion around the 13 land points along the border. However, Israel has reiterated that it wants a vague wording which would allow them to determine when those discussions commence.
According to Channel 12, Israel has also pushed for an agreement that demands it to unilaterally choose not to engage in negotiations over ‘disputed points’, referring to boundary demarcation disputes.
The Israeli channel quoted a senior official as saying that “most of the details have been agreed upon, but what remains open is very sensitive and could still derail the agreement”.
Ceasefire talks are expected to continue this week, with US envoy Amos Hochstein set to convey Israeli comments to Lebanon.
The current proposed agreement states there will be a 60-day truce, where Israeli forces will withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah fighters will pull back from the north of the Litani River.
During this period, Lebanon’s army and the UN peacekeeping force in the country will be deployed along the border zone, while a new supervision mechanism headed by the US would be established.
Hezbollah has maintained throughout negotiations that any agreement should stop all Israeli attacks on Lebanon and allow for the preservation of Lebanese sovereignty.
Israel ramped up attacks on Lebanon in mid-September. Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,670 people in Lebanon and wounded 15,413 others since 7 October 2023.
