Netanyahu Approves Lebanon Cease-fire 'in Principle'

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Facts

  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to a cease-fire in Lebanon "in principle," with his cabinet set to vote on the proposal on Tuesday.[1]
  • Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on Monday that enforcement will be the key to whether the cease-fire holds, as Israel seeks to prevent Hezbollah from returning to South Lebanon or rearming.[2]
  • Issues still remain between Israel and Lebanon, but those involved have indicated that a cease-fire can still be reached soon. Lebanese Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab said there were "no serious obstacles" left preventing a cease-fire from being implemented.[3]
  • Axios reported on Monday that a senior US official said that Israel and Lebanon have effectively agreed to the cease-fire proposal, adding that the Israeli cabinet is expected to approve the deal on Tuesday. The official clarified, however, that "something can always go wrong."[4]
  • Nonetheless, Israel and Hezbollah have both increased their attacks as the situation progresses. Israeli strikes have pummeled Beirut and its southern suburbs in recent days, with Hezbollah firing major salvos of rockets into northern Israel.[5][6][7]
  • Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed over 3.7K people since the war began last year, with most of those deaths occurring in the last two months. Around 90 Israeli soldiers have been reportedly killed in South Lebanon since Israel began its ground invasion of the country, with 50 civilians killed in Hezbollah attacks.[8][9][10]

Sources: [1]CNN, [2]The Times of Israel, [3]Reuters, [4]Axios, [5]Associated Press, [6]Al Jazeera (a), [7]Middle East Eye, [8]Al Jazeera (b), [9]Al Jazeera (c) and [10]The Guardian.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by CNN. It's imperative that a cease-fire in Lebanon is agreed upon and properly enforced. Both sides have been willing to compromise, and US mediation has seemingly bore fruit. The US will continue to play a leading role in de-escalating this terrible regional conflict and ensuring that the Lebanese border remains quiet.
  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Jerusalem Post. Though Israel rightfully still has reservations regarding a cease-fire in Lebanon, the time is ripe for a deal. Israel has decimated Hezbollah's leadership, seriously degraded its rocket arsenal, and destroyed its terrorist infrastructure along the border, demonstrating a clear Israeli victory over the group. Nothing is yet set in stone, but Israel's campaign in Lebanon has been quite successful.
  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. The only reason progress has been made on a cease-fire in Lebanon is because Netanyahu wants to "gift" a truce to Trump when he enters office in January. Either way, Israel's genocide in Gaza has continued unabated and must not be forgotten.
  • Narrative D, as provided by Al Mayadeen. Israel is looking for a cease-fire in Lebanon because it failed miserably to reoccupy South Lebanon. Though a deal has not yet been agreed upon, Hezbollah has remained steadfast in its defense of Lebanese sovereignty and the Lebanese people, successfully preventing Israel from achieving its goals.