The White House Says Agreement for Ceasefire in Lebanon is 'Close'

The spokesperson for the National Security Council of the White House stated that ceasefire negotiations in Lebanon aimed at ending the conflict between the Israeli army and Hezbollah have been positive so far and are progressing in the right direction. John Kirby emphasized on Monday, December 5, during a press conference, that they are 'close to a final result' and added, 'The negotiations have been constructive, and we believe they are moving in a very positive direction.' He noted that discussions mediated by the U.S. are ongoing and that one cannot speak confidently about a ceasefire until a 'final' agreement is reached. Earlier, Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's Foreign Minister, announced that the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon is contingent upon the disarmament of Hezbollah and its withdrawal from the Israeli border. Sa'ar stated on Monday, December 5, in a speech to the Israeli parliament that the ceasefire will be based on two main points: 'First, preventing Hezbollah from moving south beyond the Litani River, and second, preventing the rebuilding and maintaining of Hezbollah's power throughout Lebanon.' CNN also reported on Monday that the Israeli Prime Minister accepted the principle of a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah during a security meeting with officials in the country on Sunday night. An informed source told CNN that Israel still has some reservations about certain details of the agreement, which are expected to be communicated to the Lebanese government on Monday. On the other hand, Axios reported, citing a senior U.S. official, that Israel and Lebanon have reached an agreement on the conditions for ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Hours earlier, Mike Herzog, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., stated that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah could be finalized in the coming days. He emphasized that some issues remain unresolved and that the agreement requires approval from the Israeli government, but negotiations have reached a stage close to a conclusion. However, the Deputy Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament emphasized in an interview with Reuters that 'there are no serious obstacles' remaining to begin implementing the U.S.-proposed ceasefire to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. He announced on Monday, December 5, that the Washington proposal includes a 60-day timeline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, during which the Lebanese army will be deployed in the south of the country. According to Elias Bou Saab, in the past 24 hours, one of the points of contention regarding who will oversee the ceasefire has been resolved with an agreement to form a committee consisting of five countries, including France and headed by the United States. Meanwhile, Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, stated before the Security Council meeting that he expects the Israeli cabinet to convene on Monday or Tuesday to discuss the ceasefire issue in Lebanon. However, Reuters reported, citing a Lebanese official, that Beirut has been informed by Washington that this agreement may be announced 'within the next few hours.' Reuters also referenced a senior Israeli official regarding the formation of the Israeli cabinet meeting, noting that this meeting will take place on Tuesday. Another Israeli official told Reuters that this cabinet meeting is to discuss an agreement that may be finalized in the coming days. One important issue under discussion is Israel's request to maintain the right to act in case of violations by Hezbollah. This agreement seeks to reduce the presence of Hezbollah and the Israeli army in southern Lebanon. Israel accuses Hezbollah of failing to comply with the UN resolution after the 2006 war and is concerned that Hezbollah's heavy presence in southern Lebanon could lead to attacks similar to those by Hamas. Lebanon also accuses Israel of violating the 2006 resolution, particularly through the entry of military aircraft and ships into its territory. These negotiations have been mediated by a senior U.S. representative and have raised hopes for an end to the fighting after a year of intense warfare between the parties that began in October 2023. The Israeli army reported that Hezbollah fired about 160 projectiles in one day. Since the beginning of the war, Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets at Israel, with approximately 250 rockets launched on Sunday alone. Meanwhile, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's Minister of National Security from the far-right, has expressed his opposition to any agreement and has urged Benjamin Netanyahu to continue the war until achieving 'complete victory.' Israeli media and Axios reported that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has given initial approval to the draft ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah proposed by the U.S. This draft includes a 60-day ceasefire and oversight by a committee headed by the U.S. According to this agreement, Hezbollah forces must withdraw to the north of the Litani River, the Lebanese army will be stationed at the border, and Israeli forces will leave Lebanese territory. Israel will also retain the right to military action in the event of an imminent threat, based on guarantees provided by the U.S. Reports indicate that the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Israeli officials has impacted the negotiations. Netanyahu's angry reaction to this warrant caused a several-day pause in the progress of the negotiations. Concurrently, it was reported that Israel resumed its airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday, December 5. These strikes followed a warning to evacuate the area by Israel and heavy bombardment of Hezbollah-controlled areas the night before. The Lebanese official news agency reported that 'three strikes were carried out near Haret Hreik,' and images from news agencies show heavy smoke in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Avichai Adraee, the spokesperson for the Israeli army, had previously stated on social media that the army would target 'Hezbollah facilities and interests' in the southern suburbs, referring to specific locations. Shortly thereafter, the Israeli army announced that its air force had conducted 'intelligence-driven attacks on several Hezbollah command centers' in the southern suburbs. These attacks followed a weekend of heavy bombardments in southern Beirut and its surroundings and continued despite calls for a ceasefire from Josep Borrell, the EU's senior diplomat, who visited Lebanon on Sunday. In a deadly attack that occurred on Saturday morning in the densely populated Basta neighborhood in central Beirut, 'at least 29 people' were killed, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The Israeli army announced on Monday that it targeted a Hezbollah command center in Basta. The Lebanese Ministry of Education announced on Monday that due to the 'current dangerous conditions,' all classes in schools, technical institutions, and private universities in Beirut and some surrounding areas would be suspended. On Sunday, Hezbollah claimed to have carried out 50 attacks against Israeli forces, military positions, and border settlements. The Israeli army reported that 250 projectiles were fired into its territory. This is one of the highest numbers of attacks that Hezbollah has claimed since the onset of border conflicts with the Israeli army in October of last year following the Gaza war. Reports indicate that rocket and drone attacks on Sunday targeted areas in northern and central Israel, with impacts from rockets or their fragments leaving at least five injured. At least 15 were killed in an Israeli attack 'with bunker-buster missiles' on a building in central Beirut. The total number of casualties from Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the past year has now reached 3,754. The conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah began the day after the October 7 attack but remained largely confined to the border areas of the two countries; however, Israel expanded operations to strike Hezbollah starting from September 27 with the explosion of pagers and then sent ground forces into southern Lebanon.