Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Tuesday (Nov 26) said that he is ready to implement a ceasefire in Lebanon amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
In his address, Netanyahu also said he would present the ceasefire accord to his full cabinet later in the evening.
The ceasefire agreement would put an end to the months-long conflict which has reportedly killed thousands across Lebanon. However, the Israeli PM also warned that Israel would “respond forcefully to any violation” by Hezbollah.
“The length of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon,” said Netanyahu, in a speech following an hours-long meeting with his security cabinet.
The agreement means Israel can focus on the “Iranian threat,” adding, “we are changing the face of the region,” said the Israeli PM.
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been at war for several months now, a period that saw the killing of senior Hezbollah leadership including Hassan Nasrallah, the former chief of the group; Fuad Shukr, a top commander; Sami Taleb Abdallah and more.
Hezbollah over the past year launched several attacks on Israel but the tensions escalated after retaliation from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) earlier this year.
PM Netanyahu has warned the group that Israel will not honour the ceasefire deal with Hezbollah if the Lebanon-based group breaks it. It is understood that the deal has been reached with the help of France and the United States.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the ceasefire deal being finalised between Israel and Lebanon will boost efforts to secure an end to the war in Gaza.
“One of the things that Hamas has sought from day one is to get others in on the fight, to create multiple fronts… and as long as it thought that was possible, that’s one of the reasons it has held back from doing what is necessary to end the conflict,” Blinken says in remarks to reporters after meeting counterparts at the G7 in Italy. He added, “If it sees that the cavalry is not on the way, that may incentivize it to do what it needs to do to end this conflict.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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