MK Dan Illouz (Likud) posted his opposition to the ceasefire deal with Hezbollah and Lebanon, on Twitter.
הדיווחים על עסקה קרובה עם חיזבאללה מעוררים דאגה עמוקה. במקום לנצל את חולשת הארגון לאחר חודשיים של מכות קשות, ההסכם המתגבש מעניק לחיזבאללה הישגים אסטרטגיים ומסכן את ביטחונה של ישראל.
החזרת צבא לבנון לדרום המדינה? זו לא פחות מהונאה עצמית. צבא לבנון נשלט על ידי ממשלה שחיזבאללה הוא…
— דן אילוז – Dan Illouz (@dillouz) November 25, 2024
“Reports of an imminent deal with Hezbollah are deeply concerning. Instead of exploiting the organization’s weakness after two months of heavy blows, the emerging agreement grants Hezbollah strategic gains and jeopardizes Israel’s security.
Returning the Lebanese army to the south of the country? This is nothing less than self-deception. The Lebanese army is controlled by a government in which Hezbollah is a central part of the coalition. This is the same army that stood by while Hezbollah armed itself and developed a vast missile array that threatens Israeli citizens. An international monitoring mechanism? This is too reminiscent of past agreements—those that were impressive on paper but toothless, and did not last more than a few months.
If the international community is truly interested in ending the war, it should pressure Hezbollah to surrender and take responsibility for effective mechanisms to prevent its resurgence. If it does not do so, Israel must have a free hand to attack arms shipments wherever they are located, without any diplomatic restrictions.
What should Israel demand?
1. A demilitarized security zone (No Man’s Land) in southern Lebanon – a few kilometers from the Israeli border, without a civilian presence, so that it is clear that this is the price for Hezbollah aggression. The zone will be enforced by the Israeli Air Force and will prevent the use of villages as shelters for the organization’s fighters – because those villages simply will not exist.
2. Hezbollah’s withdrawal north of the Litani and beyond the range of anti-tank missiles – the Litani strip alone is too narrow and a wide security space must be created that will prevent a continuous threat to Israel.
3. Complete freedom of action for Israel – Israel must retain the right to strike at any threat, anywhere and at any time, especially if international monitoring mechanisms fail to prevent arms smuggling. In the end, Israel must rely only on itself.
4. International sanctions on Hezbollah as a whole – including the political wing, to dry up the organization’s sources of funding. This is a necessary condition for freeing Lebanon from the Iranian grip and for the country to return, in the long run, to the “Switzerland of the Middle East” instead of the “Hell of the Middle East” that Hezbollah and the Iranians have turned it into.
Finally, the residents of the north need to see IDF soldiers when they open the window, not Hezbollah positions reminding them of the constant threat. Israel is committed to ensuring that the residents of the north return to their homes safely, with a quiet border that guarantees their future. A deal that does not include complete security for the residents and a genuine demilitarization of southern Lebanon is nothing less than a disaster. This is the opportunity to change the reality on the border once and for all.”
