Israeli military and defense officials met Tuesday afternoon in a situation assessment with Defense Minister Israel Katz to discuss plans for a continued offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The meeting came ahead of one in which the Israeli political-security cabinet was expected to vote on a proposed ceasefire agreement with the Iranian proxy army.
An Israeli official told JewishPress.com earlier in the day that the cabinet was expected to meet at 5:30 pm to review and vote on the agreement — but the meeting began an hour earlier than scheduled.
An Israeli official told Axios reporter Barak Ravid that US President Joe Biden is expected to announce a confirmed ceasefire agreement later on Tuesday, with the ceasefire expected to take effect Wednesday morning Israel time.
If the proposed ceasefire is approved, the full coalition government will then meet to finalize – or oppose – the deal.
Such a vote could be taken within hours through a telephone meeting of the government – or it could take up to 24 hours, if the government meets in person to discuss the proposal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the plan “in principle,” according to an Israeli source quoted by CNN. However, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called the impending ceasefire a “big mistake” and called it “an historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.”
In the meantime, Defense Minister Israel Katz approved the “continued IDF offensive operations on the northern front” during a situation assessment held Tuesday with top IDF and defense officials, his office announced.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, head of the Operations Directorate Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, head of the Intelligence Directorate Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, head of the Strategy Directorate Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano, Defense Ministry Director General Eyal Zamir and head of the ministry’s Political-Military Bureau Dror Shalom all attending the meeting.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly given Hezbollah a green light to accept the deal, which calls for a 60-day ceasefire, according to information leaked to media.
Under the agreement, Hezbollah, its arsenal and allies will withdraw from southern Lebanon and remain north of the Litani River, a condition listed in the 2006 Second Lebanon War ceasefire deal, enshrined in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 but immediately ignored by Hezbollah and the Lebanese government.
The Lebanese Army will deploy in southern Lebanon as the IDF simultaneously withdraws from the region. The Lebanese military will also deploy to the various border crossings, including seaports, airports and land crossings with Syria.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Rashid Bou Habib announced during the day that 5,000 Lebanese Army soldiers will be deployed in the south of the country as part of the ceasefire agreement.
Hezbollah members taken captive by the IDF during the war will not be released.
A “supervision committee” led by the United States will be established to oversee implementation of the agreement. France will reportedly be involved in the “committee” but Israel has objected to Paris having any substantial role, given its recent commercial bans against Israeli defense contractors and its support of International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Israel retains the right to respond to violations that constitute immediate violations to its security, and will notify the “committee” of violations not considered “immediate threats.” If the threats are not removed following a process involving the US and Lebanon, Israel has the right to attack.
Residents of southern Lebanon will have the right to return to their villages (or whatever is left of them, given the destruction of multiple homes that were used as cover by Hezbollah).
The same should hold true for residents of northern Israel — but many of those Israelis are not yet willing to return, until their safety can be 100 percent assured.
According to the latest figures from the Prime Minister’s Office, as of November 26, 2024 a total of 46,561 northern Israelis remain internal refugees, having been forced to flee their homes on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah joined the war against Israel launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
