Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Not Guaranteed Amid Repeated Violations – Global Issues
UNITED NATIONS, December 04 (IPS) – On 27 November, Israel, Lebanon, and a number of negotiating nations agreed on a cease-fire agreement that will permanently end hostilities between the two sides. As of December 3, there have been no reported incidents of Hezbollah directing attacks on Israel that have resulted in casualties. Apart from this, there have been many reported violations committed by Israel, causing serious damage to human lives and local infrastructure. Many groups have warned the international community to hold Israel accountable for this violation of the law.
The cease-fire agreement mandates both Israel and Hezbollah to withdraw their forces from each other’s territories and report any breach of peace to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the international mediation committee. Israel has been given 60 days to withdraw all its troops from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah must withdraw its forces north of the Litani River.
According to a December 1 report released by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 578,641 internally displaced persons began returning to their place of origin in Lebanon. It is also said that other airstrikes and military restrictions imposed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have left many unable to return to their communities.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor issued a press release on December 2, reporting that Israel has violated the terms of the agreement at least 18 times in southern Lebanon alone. As of December 1, there have been 62 reported violations by Israel targeting civilians and infrastructure in Lebanon. Lebanese civilians were reportedly killed when the IDF opened fire and ordered drone strikes. Additionally, the IDF has issued additional restrictions on movement south of the Litani River.
December 2 was the deadliest day of fighting in Lebanon since the ceasefire came into force. It began when Hezbollah launched two projectiles into Israel, responding to a series of violations committed by Israel last week. The attack, described as a “defensive strike”, took place in an open area and caused no casualties.
In a statement sent to X (formerly known as Twitter), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed plans to retaliate against Hezbollah, describing the attack as “a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement”, adding that Israel “will respond to any violation by Hezbollah – minor or serious.”
Israel’s Minister of Military Affairs Israel Katz urged Lebanon to comply with the terms of the ceasefire. “If the peace agreement collapses, there will be no more liberation for the Lebanese nation. We will use a high-powered and zero-tolerance agreement. If until now we have divided between Lebanon and Hezbollah, that will no longer be the case,” said Katz. He did not face many of the reported violations of Israeli law.
The IDF responded by launching a series of strikes in two southern Lebanese cities, Talousa and Haris, killing at least eleven civilians and causing extensive damage to local infrastructure.
In a statement released on X, the IDF said they hit Hezbollah terrorists, dozens of initiators, and terrorist infrastructure throughout Lebanon in response to several actions by Hezbollah in Lebanon that posed a threat to the people of Israel, in violation of the understanding between Israel and Lebanon They added. that the state of Israel always follows the terms of the cease-fire agreement but will continue to defend itself.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denied that Israel had reported a violation of the agreement, adding that Israel “will not agree to return to the status quo.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot was reported to have spoken to Saar by phone noting that it was urgent “for all parties to respect the ceasefire in Lebanon”.
Despite this, the Biden administration has expressed concern that the “fragile” ceasefire agreement could fall apart due to repeated violations of the agreement. Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported that US envoy Amos Hochstein issued a warning to Israel for continued violations.
An Israeli official informed the press that Hochstein believed that Israel was enforcing the ceasefire “very violently”. Hochstein also reportedly expressed uncertainty about the durability of the ceasefire, stating that the situation depends on how Hezbollah responds to recent attacks.
United States officials have confirmed that despite occasional strikes on both sides of the border, they are confident that the cease-fire agreement will not be shaken.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters; “It is clear that if you have stopped the weapons, you can see that something is being violated. Simply speaking, it is our assessment that despite some of these incidents that we see, the ceasefire continues.” White House spokesman John Kirby added that “there has been a significant decrease in violence. The monitoring system is fully operational and effective”.
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