Gideon Sa'ar: Hezbollah Must Stay Away from Southern Lebanon for a Ceasefire

Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's Foreign Minister, conditioned a potential ceasefire with Hezbollah on the group's non-return to southern Lebanon and preventing Hezbollah's rearmament. On Monday, Sa'ar emphasized the importance of how this potential ceasefire would be implemented. He stated that Israel would never return to the day before the Hamas terrorist attack on October 14 and would respond immediately to any aggression. These remarks coincide with senior Israeli officials' positions regarding the imminent establishment of a ceasefire with Hezbollah. Michael Herzog, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., previously mentioned the possibility of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in the coming days. In an interview with Israeli radio 'GLZ' on Monday, December 5, Herzog explained that this agreement could be reached in 'the next few days,' describing the prerequisite as 'addressing Israel's final concerns.' David Manser, the Israeli government's spokesperson, also stated that the country is on the path to reaching an agreement, but some issues still need to be addressed. Amos Hochstein, the U.S. special envoy for Middle East affairs, recently traveled to Lebanon and Israel in an effort to mediate peace between Israel and Hezbollah. Hochstein reported a 'real opportunity' to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This senior U.S. official, after meeting with Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, noted that his return to Lebanon was due to 'a real opportunity to end this conflict' and expressed hope for a decisive decision regarding the currently available 'open window.' While U.S. and other countries' efforts to establish a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah have increased in recent weeks, the Israeli army on Monday, December 5, targeted Hezbollah positions in southern Beirut suburbs after issuing evacuation warnings to residents of some areas. An Israeli army spokesperson stated that the purpose of these attacks was to destroy Hezbollah's military command centers located in the targeted areas. These attacks occurred one day after one of the largest Hezbollah assaults on Israel since the war began over a year ago. Hezbollah militants had launched approximately 250 rockets and other projectiles toward Israel on Sunday, December 4. Prior to this, at least 29 people were killed in Beirut due to an Israeli attack. Hezbollah began its unilateral rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel the day after Hamas's terrorist attack on Israel on October 15, 2023. In response, Israel conducted severe attacks against this group's positions in Lebanon and Syria, killing hundreds of members of this major proxy arm of the Iranian government in the region, including many senior leaders and military commanders such as Hassan Nasrallah, Fawad Shukr, Ibrahim Aqil, and Hashem Safi al-Din. Simultaneously with heavy airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, Israel has deployed ground forces to parts of southern Lebanon to secure its northern borders and facilitate the return of displaced civilians to their homes. Several countries, including the U.S., Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization. Media reported on the U.S. envoy's trip to Beirut to advance the ceasefire. Netanyahu stated that an agreement with Hezbollah is conditional on border security and addressing threats from Lebanon. Senior U.S. officials' travel to the Middle East aims to reduce tensions. Axios reported on Israel's demands to end the war in Lebanon to the White House.