A Region on Fire
Issue 61 - November 26, 2024
The ceasefire began at 4:00 am on Wednesday, and people have begun to return to most areas.
As of 4:00 AM Wednesday, following announcements by President Biden and earlier Netanyahu, the ceasefire in Lebanon officially took effect. Displaced individuals began returning to most areas across Lebanon, including Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, and Tyre. However, access remains prohibited to regions still under Israeli military occupation in southern Lebanon. Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued a warning to residents of southern villages, advising against returning until the Israeli military grants permission.
According to the agreement text released in Lebanon, commentators see it as a set of terms dictated by Israel. The deal represents a temporary truce and a 60-day trial period during which Hezbollah fighters are expected to withdraw, and its military infrastructure is to be dismantled by the Lebanese army. The agreement also imposes restrictions on arms transfers across the border to Hezbollah. In exchange, the text vaguely commits Israel to withdraw its forces from the south within two months, offering no detailed guarantees.
Lebanese commentators view the primary positive aspect of the agreement as halting the destruction and loss of life that persisted until the very last moment.
Currently, there is a sense of general relief in Lebanon at the end of the devastating war. However, priorities are shifting towards the next steps—whether related to implementing the agreement with its unclear points or addressing domestic issues, such as reshaping governance structures, which remain ambiguous at this stage.
Battlefield Developments in Lebanon
Amid discussions of an imminent ceasefire in Lebanon, Israeli warplanes launched a series of simultaneous, intense airstrikes targeting various areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs. These attacks followed warnings from Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee. The Israeli military announced it had conducted rapid strikes against 20 "terrorist targets" within 120 seconds, using eight fighter jets.
The strikes reportedly targeted seven sites associated with Hezbollah’s financial management and storage operations, including leadership headquarters and branches of the Al-Qard Al-Hassan association, which the Israeli military claims Hezbollah uses to collect and store funds for military purposes. The military warned of further attacks on additional branches of the association, alleging they house Iranian funds and other revenue streams used to finance Hezbollah's activities. Areas such as Noueiri, Mazraa, Hamra, and Mar Elias in Beirut, along with villages and towns in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region, were heavily bombarded. Cities like Tyre and Sidon were also struck. Meanwhile, clashes reportedly continued in several border towns and villages in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military stated it is actively targeting Hezbollah’s leadership and claimed to have killed the commander of Hezbollah's coastal operations unit.
Hezbollah, in turn, continued targeting Israeli troop concentrations in southern Lebanese villages and northern Israel. The group also reported resisting Israeli incursions into southern Lebanon and launching rocket attacks on northern Israel. According to Hezbollah's statements, its fighters destroyed over 50 Israeli Merkava tanks during 52 days of Israeli advances in southern Lebanon, using anti-armor missiles.
Political Developments in Lebanon
On Tuesday, international attention centered on the prospect of a ceasefire in Lebanon, with key statements including:
- Josep Borrell, EU Foreign Policy Chief, stated that Israel's concerns have been fully addressed and there is no justification for not reaching a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.
- The White House announced that President Joe Biden remains committed to working toward a ceasefire in Lebanon. A statement noted progress in diplomatic negotiations and affirmed continued efforts toward this goal.
- Axios reported, citing a senior Israeli official, that President Biden is expected to announce a ceasefire in Lebanon on Tuesday evening, with implementation anticipated by Wednesday morning.
- US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stated that implementing UN Resolution 1701 would allow Israel to return to its borders and prevent Hezbollah from posing a threat. He added, "I will not discuss the contents of the ceasefire agreement before it is announced by Israel and Lebanon."
- Israel's Public Broadcaster reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the agreement with Lebanon after receiving American guarantees for the provision of restricted weapons to Israel.
- Israeli Defense Minister emphasized that Israel will not tolerate any violations of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon. He warned that any terrorist organization or attempts to arm them, as well as weapons smuggling to Hezbollah, would be targeted.
- Reuters, citing an Israeli government spokesperson, reported that the agreement with Lebanon ensures Israel’s freedom to act against Hezbollah's threats and provides a safe return for Israelis in the north to their homes.
- G7 Foreign Ministers increased pressure on Israel to accept a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon, stating, "Now is the right time for a diplomatic resolution."
On the Lebanese side:
- Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib announced Lebanon’s plan to deploy 5,000 troops in the south as part of the ceasefire agreement. He expressed hope for an agreement by Tuesday night, adding, "The United States may play a role in rebuilding infrastructure in the south." He concluded, "We cannot stop the resistance as long as there is occupation."
- Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram expressed cautious optimism, stating, "The atmosphere is positive, and we are hopeful, but cautiously so. Lebanon has done its part."
- The Democratic Gathering Delegation, following a meeting with Bishop Elias Audeh, emphasized that the priority is a ceasefire, the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, and adhering to the Taif Agreement as a political cornerstone for the post-war phase.
- A Lebanese government source told Al Jazeera that ministers have been notified to prepare for a cabinet session on Wednesday morning to approve the ceasefire agreement, conditional on Israel’s acceptance of the proposed terms. The source stressed that UN Resolution 1701 remains the sole framework for the ceasefire agreement.
Gaza
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that "Israeli forces have committed 7,160 massacres against Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip between October 7, 2023, and the beginning of this month."
The ministry stated that "Israeli forces completely wiped out approximately 1,410 families, totaling 5,444 individuals, from the civil registry during the same period."
It also noted that "the number of families entirely annihilated, leaving only one survivor, has reached approximately 3,463, with a total of 7,934 members during this period."
Additionally, the Ministry of Health announced that 14 Palestinians were killed and 108 injured in the past 24 hours due to Israeli attacks on Gaza, bringing the war’s death toll to at least 44,249.
West Bank and Jerusalem
On Tuesday, Israeli forces stormed the campus of Birzeit University near Ramallah in the West Bank, arresting four students who had been staging a sit-in for several days to protest political detentions.
Meanwhile, extremist settlers continued to storm the Dome of the Rock courtyard at Al-Aqsa Mosque. A Palestinian organization in Jerusalem reported that Israeli authorities distributed dozens of demolition orders for homes and buildings in the Silwan neighborhood of the city.
Syria
Syrian state television reported that the explosions heard in Homs were the result of an Israeli attack targeting the village of Al-Aminiya.
International Developments
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations emphasized the need to prevent the implementation of displacement and apartheid policies pursued by the occupation. He argued that the lack of accountability has emboldened Israel to disregard UN resolutions and international judicial bodies.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for the enforcement of the International Criminal Court's decision against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Borrell stated that the situation in Gaza is worse than in Lebanon, with 250,000 people in northern Gaza suffering under starvation tactics. He noted that humanitarian aid is not reaching Gaza, and the UN is unable to provide support.
G7 foreign ministers urged Israel to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians and condemned the increasing violence by settlers in the West Bank. They also denounced the recent attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and expressed their support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), describing its role as "vital."
The U.S. Secretary of State suggested the need for a post-war plan to enable Gaza residents to live without Hamas.
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that over 8,800 buildings in northern Israel have been destroyed, while more than 7,000 vehicles and over 300 agricultural sites have been damaged. The paper stated that reports of property damage caused by Hezbollah rocket attacks have exceeded 17,000. The destruction in Kiryat Shmona was described as "unbelievable," with repairs to damaged schools alone expected to take approximately four months. Yedioth Ahronoth also revealed that 140 million shekels (about $38 million) have so far been paid in compensation to residents of Haifa, Acre, and Tiberias for their losses.
