The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon began on Wednesday morning, a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut since the start of the conflict, killing at least 42 people across the country.
There were no immediate reports of alleged violations of the truce, which began at 4am (local time) and there were signs of celebration in Beirut.
However, Israel has warned residents evacuated from southern Lebanon not to head home yet due to the ongoing military deployment in the region.
US president Joe Biden is set to push for an elusive Gaza ceasefire after Israel approved a US plan for a truce.
The Israeli security cabinet voted in favour of a US-mediated ceasefire with Hezbollah by 10-1, according to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
The ceasefire comes after more than a year of near-daily rocket fire, ferocious airstrikes and on-the-ground skirmishes between Israeli forces and the militant group across Lebanon.
Thousands of troops from the Lebanese Army will be deployed, and an international committee will monitor the implementation of the ceasefire.
Israel has said it will attack if Hezbollah breaks the agreement.
Ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah begins
Israel says it will ‘attack with might’ if Hezbollah breaks truce
US envoy says ceasefire ‘permanent’ and Israeli forces will leave in 60 days
Biden to push for Gaza ceasefire
Ceasefire deal approved by Israel’s security cabinet
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US envoy Amos Hochstein told Al Jazeera that the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon was “permanent”.
He said the Israeli military on the ground in the first two-three km from the border will remain in place and the Lebanese army will redeploy back down to the south.
The first Israeli forces “will leave over the next several days, or first couple of weeks, and gradually, over 60 days, they will all depart,” he said.
“But there is a lot to do in these 60 days. The Lebanese army cannot deploy that many forces that quickly all across the south when they haven’t been there in such a long time.”
04:00 , Alexander Butler
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah will provide some measure of relief to civilian populations in Lebanon and Northern Israel and urged progress towards a ceasefire in Gaza.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden said a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah will take effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the United States and France.
Biden, who gave remarks at the White House shortly after Israel’s security cabinet approved the agreement in a 10-1 vote, said he had spoken to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Fighting across the Israel-Lebanon border would end at 4 a.m. local time (2am GMT).
“We must see immediate progress towards a ceasefire deal in Gaza, the release of all hostages and the removal of restrictions on desperately needed humanitarian aid,” Starmer said in a post on X.
Foreign Minister David Lammy said the ceasefire must be a turning point that builds momentum towards a lasting peace in the Middle East.
03:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Israel will respond ‘with might’ if the Iran-backed group violates the ceasefire.
“If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” Mr Netanyahu said.
“For every violation, we will attack with might.”
His office said Israel appreciated the US efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security”.
03:00 , Alexander Butler
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, clearing the way for the truce to take effect.
The late-night vote came shortly before President Joe Biden was expected to announce details of the deal in Washington. Biden called the ceasefire in Lebanon “good news,” but it’s not clear how the truce will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
In the hours before Israel agreed to the ceasefire, residents of Beirut endured the most intense wave of Israeli strikes on the capital and its southern suburbs since the start of the 13-month war.
Israel was apparently signaling it intended to pummel the country before any ceasefire takes hold. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel, triggering air raid sirens across the country’s north.
02:59 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israel has warned residents evacuated from southern Lebanon not to head home yet due to the ongoing military deployment in the region.
Residents were warned in the first half-hour of the ceasefire, which began a short while ago at 4am (local time) today, a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut.
There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, which Israel insisted was part of the deal but Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected.
02:52 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants began early this morning as a region on edge wondered whether it would hold.The ceasefire announced Tuesday is a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting sparked by the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
02:00 , Alexander Butler
01:00 , Alexander Butler
Israeli strikes late on Tuesday targeted Lebanon’s three northern border crossings with Syria for the first time, Lebanon’s transport minister Ali Hamieh told Reuters.
The strikes came moments after US President Joe Biden announced that a ceasefire would come into effect at 4am local time (2am GMT) on Wednesday to halt hostilities between Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel.
Hamieh said it was not immediately clear whether the roads had been cut off as a result of the strikes. Israeli raids on Lebanon’s eastern crossings in recent weeks had already sealed off those routes into Syria.
Syrian state media Sana had said Israeli strikes targeted the northern crossings between Syria and Lebanon but it was not immediately clear what side of the border was hit.
Syrian state TV reported that 10 people were injured, including three critically, in an Israeli strike on the Arida border crossing, with the wounded transported to nearby hospitals, while casualties were also reported in a separate Israeli strike on the Dabousieh border crossing with Lebanon.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment but has previously stated that it targets what it says are Iran-linked sites in Syria as part of a broader campaign to curb the influence of Iran and its ally Hezbollah in the region.
00:01 , Alexander Butler
What to know about ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah
Tuesday 26 November 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler
Israeli ministers approve ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon
Tuesday 26 November 2024 21:56 , Alexander Butler
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday his administration was pushing for an elusive ceasefire in Gaza and that it is possible that Saudi Arabia and Israel could normalize relations.
The US “will make another push, with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others, to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza,” he said.
Biden also wants the hostages released and to end the war without Hamas in power. Biden made the comments as he announced an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire at the White House.
He added the US “remained prepared to conclude a set of historic deals with Saudi Arabia, to include a security pact and economic assurances, together with a credible pathway for establishing a Palestinian state and the full normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.”
Tuesday 26 November 2024 21:40 , Alexander Butler
A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah will take effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the United States and France, US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday.
The accord, clearing the way for an end to a conflict that has killed thousands of people since it was ignited by the Gaza war last year, was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities, Biden said in remarks at the White House.
Fighting across the Israel-Lebanon border will end at 4am local time (2am GMT), Biden said.
“This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities,” he said. “What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organisations will not be allowed to threaten the security of Israel again.
Israel will gradually withdraw its forces over a period of 60 days as Lebanon’s army takes control of territory near its border with Israel to ensure that Hezbollah does not rebuild its infrastructure there, Biden said.
“Civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities,” he said.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib earlier said the Lebanese army would be ready to have at least 5,000 troops deployed in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops withdraw.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 21:24 , Alexander Butler
Tuesday 26 November 2024 21:01 , Alex Ross
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, clearing the way for the truce to take effect.
The late-night vote came shortly before President Joe Biden was expected to announce details of the deal in Washington. Biden called the ceasefire in Lebanon “good news,” but it’s not clear how the truce will affect the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
In the hours before Israel agreed to the ceasefire, residents of Beirut endured the most intense wave of Israeli strikes on the capital and its southern suburbs since the start of the 13-month war.
Israel was apparently signaling it intended to pummel the country before any ceasefire takes hold. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel, triggering air raid sirens across the country’s north.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 20:30 , Alexander Butler
Netanyahu approves US plan for ceasefire with Lebanon
Tuesday 26 November 2024 19:59 , Alexander Butler
Tuesday 26 November 2024 19:55 , Alexander Butler
Israel’s far-right security minister has rejected the US ceasefire plan backed by Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening.
Itamar Ben-Gvir branded the ceasefire plan a “historical mistake” and said Israel needed a security belt north of the border.
‘This is not a ceasefire. It’s a return to the concept of silence for silence, and we’ve already seen where it leads,” he said.
“In order to leave Lebanon, we must have our own security belt. We have already seen it, that we must not trust anyone but ourselves.
“Otherwise, the missiles will be launched at Manara, Avivim, Kiryat Shmona, the entire north and the entire State of Israel, and finally we will have to return to Lebanon again. This is a historical mistake!”
Tuesday 26 November 2024 19:30 , Alexander Butler
An Israeli air strike killed at least 13 Palestinians at a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City, medics said on Tuesday.
They said that dozens of people were also wounded in the Israeli strike that hit the Al-Hurreya School in the Zeitoun neighborhood, one of the oldest suburbs of Gaza City.
Later on Tuesday, an Israeli air strike on a house also in Zeitoun suburb killed seven people and wounded others, medics said. Another strike killed at least one man in the southern city of Rafah, raising the number of Palestinians killed by Israel on Tuesday to 21.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 18:53 , Alexander Butler
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he was ready to implement a ceasefire deal with Lebanon and would “respond forcefully to any violation” by Hezbollah.
In a television address, Netanyahu said he would put the ceasefire accord to his full cabinet later in the evening. Israeli TV reported that the more restricted security cabinet had earlier approved the deal.
“We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. Together, we will continue until victory,” he said.
“In full coordination with the United States, we retain complete military freedom of action. Should Hezbollah violate the agreement or attempt to rearm, we will strike decisively.”
He added that there were three reasons to pursue a ceasefire — to focus on Iran, replenish depleted arms supplies and give the army a rest, and finally to isolate Hamas, the militant group that triggered war in the region when it launched an attack on Israel from Gaza last year.
He said Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and allied to Hamas, was considerably weaker than it had been at the start of the conflict.
“We have set it back decades, eliminated … its top leaders, destroyed most of its rockets and missiles, neutralised thousands of fighters, and obliterated years of terror infrastructure near our border,” he said.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 18:22 , Alexander Butler
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed a US plan for a ceasefire with Hezbollah in a significant breakthrough to resolving the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Mr Netanyahu said he would present the plan – widely expected to include a 60-day ceasefire – to his full cabinet for approval tonight.
Addressing Israel, he said: “Hezbollah is no longer the same it has gone back dozens of years – we have killed Nasrallah, we have killed all senior commanders in the organisation we have destroyed many missiles and rockets.
We also destroyed the infrastructure of terror that has been built for many years near our borders. The ground is trembling in Lebanon
“That is why tonight I will bring to the cabinet approval an outline for a ceasefire in Lebanon – the duration of the ceasefire will depend of what is happening.”
Tuesday 26 November 2024 17:29 , Angus Thompson
US secretary of state Antony Blinken said both sides in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict were exchanging daily missile fire when asked about Israel’s bombardment of Beirut at the G7 meeting.
“[It] only underscores how urgent it is to get the ceasefire, and it’s why we’ve been working so intensely on bringing it to a conclusion,” Mr Blinken said.
“That’s the single most important thing to make an immediate difference, to stop the rockets and missiles flying in both directions.”
He acknowledged that Israel was attacking Beirut, “but every single day, Hezbollah has been launching projectiles into Israel and northern Israel, as it’s done virtually every day since October 7 [2023], which is how this problem started.”
Tuesday 26 November 2024 16:20 , Angus Thompson
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to deliver a national address at 6pm UK time following a meeting with his national security cabinet.
Mr Netanyahu is widely expected to announce a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah after terms were brokered by the US government to end one conflict engulfing the Middle East after the 7 October, 2023, Hamas attacks against Israeli communities plunged the region into a multi-front war.
According to reports, the ceasefire would see Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon, and Lebanese troops would move into the area, a Hezbollah stronghold.
However Israel has warned that it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah should it breach the terms of a deal.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 16:15 , Angus Thompson
Israel is undertaking a massive, deadly bombardment of Beirut ahead of a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 15:59 , Reuters, Angus Thompson
Lebanon’s ministry of public health says seven people have been killed and 37 others have been injured in an Israeli strike in the Nuwairi area in Beirut.
The update comes as the Israeli Defence Force continues to pummel the Lebanese capital, issueing several evacuation orders for sections of the city over the past few hours ahead of a ceasefire agreement expected to be secured later today.
Meanwhile, an Israeli air strike killed at least 10 Palestinians at a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City, medics said on Tuesday.
They said that dozens of people were also wounded in the Israeli strike that hit the Al-Hurreya School in the Zeitoun neighborhood, one of the oldest suburbs of Gaza City.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 15:30 , Angus Thompson
Israeli troops have reached the Litani River area of southern Lebanon, according to the IDF.
In a statement released earlier today, Israeli forces said their 91st Division pursued Hezbollah sites and weapons hauls “in complicated, built-up and mountainous areas in southern Lebanon from which terrorist plots were taken towards the northern settlements.”
“In the area of the Litani river, the battle team of the Alexandroni brigade, including the reserve forces of the 769th brigade, the Golani patrol and the Sheldag unit raided following intelligence indications of many terrorist infrastructures that were hidden along the route of the complex terrain,” the statement said.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 15:00 , Angus Thompson
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has approved the continuation of the military offensive on the northern front of the conflict as Israeli forces carry out a major bombardment of Beirut and southern Lebanon while facing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire.
Israel earlier said it was carrying out “large scale” airstrikes on Beirut in a major bombardment of the Lebanese capital, releasing footage of its airforce striking 20 targets it said were Hezbollah strongholds.
The IDF also released a lengthy statement in which it claimed to have “eliminated” a Hezbollah commander who had carried out attacks against Israel’s northern settlements.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 14:40 , Reuters
Foreign Ministers from the G7 democracies have upped the pressure on Israel to accept a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying “now is the time to conclude a diplomatic settlement.”
In a draft statement at the end of a two-day meeting in Italy, the G7 ministers urged Israel to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery to Palestinians, and condemned increasing settler violence in the West Bank.
The ministers also condemned recent attack on the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon and expressed their support for the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, saying it plays a “vital role.”
Tuesday 26 November 2024 14:13 , Angus Thompson
Israel says it is carrying out “large scale” airstrikes on Beirut in a major bombardment of the Lebanese capital ahead of critical ceasefire talks.
The Israeli Defence Force has posted a statement on social media platform X accompanied by black-and-white, aerial footage of explosions across a large area of Beirut.
“20 terrorist targets in 120 seconds,” part of the statement said, adding that Hezbollah’s money management and storage facilities were attacked in the air raid.
20 מטרות טרור ב-120 שניות: צה”ל תקף מטרות טרור בביירות, בין המטרות שהותקפו גם מטרות ניהול ואחסנת כספים של חיזבאללה.
לכל הפרטים >> https://t.co/BrjMJR7rUZ pic.twitter.com/H7yYQsueEj— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 26, 2024
The IDF also released a lengthy statement in which it claimed to have “eliminated” a Hezbollah commander who had carried out attacks against Israel’s northern settlements.
“In the last week and in a precise activity, the commando fighters identified a squad of armed terrorists with the help of observation devices. Directing fire from the air and from the ground, a number of terrorists were killed, including the commander of the sector in the area where the forces operate,” the statement said.
“The commander of the sector in Hezbollah led terrorists and shooting towards the settlements of the north, including the city of Matula.”
The IDF statement said anti-tank missiles and a rock launcher were found following the operation.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 14:01 , Bel Trew
Massive explosions from Israeli warplanes set Beirut’s skies ablaze again on Tuesday, as the UN warned of an “unprecedented humanitarian crisis”.
But amid the escalating violence a glimmer of hope emerged: the potential end to a devastating conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has claimed thousands of lives since it erupted 14 months ago in the wake of the devastating Gaza war.
Israeli government sources told The Independent that Israel was poised to approve a US-France plan for a ceasefire with Hezbollah. Reports suggested Israel’s security cabinet was expected to convene as early as Tuesday evening to sign off on the proposal in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It seems very positive,” one official told The Independent.
The pressure is mounting – the European Union’s top diplomat Joseph Borrell said on Tuesday that there were “no excuses” for Israel to refuse the ceasefire, adding that all its security concerns had been addressed and that Lebanon would “fall apart” if it was not pushed through.
But in northern Israel, news of the proposal sparked outrage among hardline local mayors whose populations have been evacuated further south. Concerns have also risen about resistance from far-right members of Netanyahu’s cabinet, who may also attempt to block the deal.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 13:46 , Angus Thompson, Reuters
Lebanon’s ministry of public health says seven people have been injured following Israeli strikes on the towns of Srifa and Bazourieh in the coastal area of Tyre, in the country’s south.
The update was made on X as Israel continues is bombardment of Beirut and dozens of targets in southern Lebanon.
Earlier, Lebanese foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed hope at a conference in Rome that a deal to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could be sealed by Tuesday night.
He said the Lebanese army would be ready to have at least 5,000 troops deployed in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops withdraw, and that the United States could play a role in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by Israeli strikes.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 13:26 , Angus Thompson
Israeli forces are not letting up on their attack on the Lebanese capital, issuing another evacuation alert for the southern Beirut area of Ghobeiry a short time ago.
IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X that residents in buildings specified on an aerial map accompanying the warning should evacuate immediately.
“You are located near facilities and interests affiliated with Hezbollah, and the IDF will work against them forcefully in the near future for your safety and the safety of your family members,” Mr Adraee said.
#عاجل 6/6 إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة والمباني المجاورة لها في الغبيري
⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع بقوة على المدى الزمني القريب
⭕️من أجل سلامتكم وسلامة… pic.twitter.com/UxXlDhBOVX
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 26, 2024
Tuesday 26 November 2024 13:09 , Angus Thompson
A building has been demolished and a cemetery damaged in imagery that shows the destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes in Beirut.
The bombardments are the latest in a series of strikes as Israel and Hezbollah continue to exchange fire ahead of the discussion of a ceasefire in Israel’s national security cabinet later today.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 12:48 , Angus Thompson
Israeli fighter jets have bombed dozens of Hezbollah targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon, according to the IDF, as fighting intensifies in the lead-up to a ceasefire deal being struck between the sides later today.
In a series of statements posted on social media platform X, the Israeli Defence Force said it acted on intelligence to attack buildings used by Hezbollah’s coastal missile unit, military headquarters, and other infrastructure this morning.
“All of the targets that were attacked were deliberately placed by Hezbollah in the heart of the civilian population, another example of the terrorist organization Hezbollah’s cynical use of Lebanese citizens as a human shield,” the IDF said, adding it took steps to warn the civilian population ahead of the strikes.
Before the attack, many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including early intelligence gathering, accurate observation, and advance warnings for the evacuation of the population in the area.
The IDF said it also targeted weapons, anti-tank missile, and air-defence depots in the Bint Jabal area in the country’s south, and in the early morning attacked 30 sites in the south that included Hezbollah weapons caches and military headquarters.
“Additional weapons depots associated with the ‘Nasser’ unit, which is responsible for many terrorist attacks against the northern settlements and the IDF forces, were also attacked,” the IDF statement said of the unit operating on the conflict’s southern front.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 12:24 , Angus Thompson
Israel’s deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel has slammed the recent arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a political decision that only serves the interests of Israel’s enemies.
In a broadcast speech, Ms Haskel said the warrant “deprived the most threatened country in the world” of its right to defend itself.
“Israel has been attak from six different fronts from a few countries that are surrounding it and are far away,” she said, adding the ICC has made itself a “vessel” at the disposal of extremist groups.
“From a political perspective, it actually encourages the axis of evil.”
She said the fact that both Hamas and Iran congratulated the issuing of the warrant, which also targeted Mr Netanyahu’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 12:03 , Angus Thompson
Israel’s former justice minister Yossi Beilin has told news broadcaster Al Jazeera prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be able to secure the majority needed to land the ceasefire deal when he meets with the national security cabinet later today.
“There are some ministers, especially the lunatic ones, who will be against any ceasefire anywhere in the world, but they are not threatening neither the decision nor even the government,” Al Jazeera has reported Mr Beilin as saying during an interview from Tel Aviv.
CNN is also reporting Mr Netanyahu has agreed in-principle to the deal.
It comes after Israel’s national security minister and far-right party leader Itamar Ben Gvir warned a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah is a “big mistake”.
Al Jazeera has reported Beilin as saying many Israelis opposed a ceasefire. “This is understandable, because as long as Hezbollah is an armed militia in Lebanon, it takes hostage the government of Lebanon … and is a threat on Israel,” he said.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 11:44 , Nidal al-Mughrabi
The prospect of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon‘s Hezbollah without a similar deal with Hamas in Gaza has left Palestinians feeling abandoned and fearful that Israel will focus squarely on its onslaught in the enclave.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing missiles at Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel in October of 2023, triggering the Gaza war.
But while diplomacy focuses on Lebanon, Palestinians say they feel let down by the world after 14 months of conflict which has devastated the Gaza Strip and killed more than 44,000 people.
“It showed Gaza is an orphan, with no support and no mercy from the unjust world,” said Abdel-Ghani, a father of five who only gave a first name.
“I am angry against the world that has failed to bring one solution to the two regions … maybe, there will be another deal for Gaza, maybe.”
Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman, said he and others had “high hopes that Hezbollah would remain steadfast until the end, but it seems they couldn’t.”
An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire without a deal for Gaza would be a blow to Hamas, whose leaders had hoped the expansion of the war into Lebanon would pressure Israel to reach a comprehensive ceasefire.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 11:34
The Times of Israel is reporting rocket and drone fire into border communities in the country’s north has seen two elderly people and a soldier injured.
According to the national news oulet, the Israeli Defence Force reported shooting down a Hezbollah drone that went into Golan Heights, near the Israel-Lebanon-Syria border, early on Tuesday morning.
However, a female IDF soldier was taken to hospital after being seriously wounded in a drone attack on the Mount Hermon area hours later.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 11:17 , Angus Thompson
Imagery has emerged of the Israeli airstrikes in southern Beirut this morning ahead of an impending ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.
The photo shows sections of the city up in smoke, after the Israeli Defence Force issued an evacuation warning ahead of the targeted strikes.
Hezbollah has kept up rocket fire into Israel as pressure mounts on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the terms of a deal that could pave the way for greater piece in the region.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 10:59 , Angus Thompson
Israel airstrikes in southern Beirut have demolished sections of Hezbollah-controlled suburbs, as the militant group also kept up rocket fire into Israel.
The IDF issued an evacuation warning on social media platform X earlier this morning, telling all residents in some southern suburbs, “you are located near Hezbollah facilities and interests, against which the IDF will operate in the near future.”
“For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate these buildings and those adjacent to them immediately and stay away from them for a distance of no less than 500 meters,” the post said.
The IDF released a map, telling residents it was targeting Burj Al-Barajneh and the pond enclosure.
#عاجل انذار آخر إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة والمباني المجاورة لها في المناطق التالية:
🔸برج البراجنة
🔸تحويطة الغدير⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع على… pic.twitter.com/8rw4zjAnj2
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 26, 2024
Tuesday 26 November 2024 10:47 , Reuters, Angus Thompson
On Monday, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, asserted Israel would maintain an ability to strike southern Lebanon under any agreement.
Lebanon has previously objected to Israel being granted such a right, and Lebanese officials have said such language is not included in the draft proposal.
However, two Israeli officials told Reuters news agency Israel had a side agreement with the US allowing it to take action in Lebanon against “imminent threats.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Force has this morning continued its warnings of the threats it says Hezbollah poses, posting on social media platform X the militant political group “endangers UN peacekeepers, Israeli and Lebanese civilians alike.”
The IDF has reported Hezbollah fired rockets toward the northern Golan Heights, near the Israel-Syria-Lebanon border, damaging a UN outpost.
“A message was sent to the UN prior to the event, advising that all UN personnel enter/stay near protected areas,” the post this morning said, adding the IDF conducted an inspect after the strike.
“It was concluded that the damage was in fact caused by the fallout from Hezbollah’s rockets which were launched toward northern Israel.”
Tuesday 26 November 2024 10:30 , Angus Thompson
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, says the nation will show “zero tolerance” towards any infraction of an impending ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, as Israel demands the UN enforce the terms of the agreement.
“Any house in southern Lebanon that is rebuilt and established as a terrorist base will be destroyed, every armament and terrorist regrouping will be struck, every attempt to smuggle weapons will be thwarted and any threat to our forces or to Israeli citizens will be destroyed immediately,” Katz has reportedly told the U.N.’s special co-ordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, according to Reuters.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will chair a security council meeting later today, where the deal will be considered, but Katz’ rhetoric in the lead-up to the discussion signals it is likely to be approved.
Israel says any deal with Lebanon will maintain its ability to act to remove the threat of Hezbollah, while Lebanon has said it will send 5,000 troops into the border region to maintain piece.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 10:11 , Angus Thompson
Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir has warned a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah is a “big mistake” and that the agreement would be a “missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah”.
The leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit took to X yesterday to announce his grievances over the impending deal as the international community ramps up pressure for Israel to agree to the terms, which would see Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon, and Lebanese troops to move into the border region, a Hezbollah stronghold.
“An agreement with Lebanon is a big mistake. A historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah,” he said.
“I understand all the constraints and reasons, and it is still a grave mistake. You have to listen to the commanders fighting in the field, listen to the heads of the authorities.”
He said it was “forbidden to stop” when Hezbollah was beaten and longing for a ceasefire. “As I warned before in Gaza, I warn now as well: Mr. Prime Minister – it is not too late to stop this agreement! We must continue until the absolute victory!”
הסכם עם לבנון הוא טעות גדולה. החמצה היסטורית של הזדמנות למגר את החיזבאללה. אני מבין את כל האילוצים והנימוקים, ועדיין מדובר בטעות חמורה. צריך להקשיב למפקדים הלוחמים בשטח, להקשיב לראשי הרשויות. דווקא כעת, כשחיזבאללה מוכה ומשתוקק להפסקת אש, אסור לעצור.
כפי שהזהרתי בעבר בעזה אני…
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) November 25, 2024
Tuesday 26 November 2024 09:52 , Reuters
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is urging Israel to back the ceasefire deal, which he says has all the necessary security guarantees for Israel.
Speaking at a G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Italy, Mr Borrell said there was no excuse for not implementing the deal with Hezbollah, adding pressure should be exerted on Israel to approve it immediately.
“No more excuses. No more additional requests,” Mr Borrell said.
He said he discussed prospects for a deal in a recent trip to Lebanon and one of the sticking points was whether France should be included in a committee monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire, which the US is due to chair.
He said the Lebanese have specifically asked for France’s involvement, but the Israelis have misgivings. “This is one of the points that are still missing,” he said.
