Thousands return to southern Lebanon after ceasefire, as Lebanese leader makes emotional appeal for everyone to return to their lands
A ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah came into force just hours after US President Joe Biden announced that a proposal to end the “devastating” conflict had been reached, promising to end almost 14 months of cross-border fighting that killed thousands of people.
The ceasefire began at 4am (02h GMT) this Wednesday (27), amid concerns about its durability and whether it would actually lead to a permanent end to fighting between Israeli military forces and Hezbollah.
Tens of thousands of displaced civilians began to return to the south of the country, defying warnings from the Israeli army, which told them not to return until its troops withdrew.
“Fighting along the Lebanese-Israeli border will end… This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities,” Biden said, announcing the deal Tuesday night.
“Biden also stated that ‘civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities and begin rebuilding their homes, schools, farms, businesses and their own lives,’” he declared.
The speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, called on all displaced Lebanese, including those living abroad, to return to the country.
“Go back to your land. Your land will be stronger with your presence. You must return. They must protect the land that has seen the blood of all martyrs,” he said in a televised speech on Wednesday.
“Go back to your land and bring back life to all the neighborhoods that the Israeli occupation and aggression tried to destroy. The victory of his land depends on his return”, added Berri.
Hezbollah, which did not directly participate in the ceasefire negotiations – with Berri acting as a mediator on the group’s behalf – has not yet made formal comments.
As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel will “gradually withdraw” its forces from southern Lebanon over the next 60 days, and the Lebanese army will be responsible for security in the region.
On Wednesday, Lebanon’s interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for unity after what he described as “the cruelest phase in Lebanese history.” He highlighted the jurisdiction of the Lebanese army to guarantee security in the south of the country after the ceasefire and stated that Israel must fulfill its part of the agreement and withdraw from the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed Biden that his government approved the ceasefire and expressed gratitude for “the understanding that Israel will maintain its freedom of action to implement it.”
Biden also released a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasizing that both countries “will work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure the agreement is fully implemented and enforced.”
Lebanon began attacks on Israel on October 8, 2023, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Cross-border attacks continued for months. Early last month, Israel invaded southern Lebanon.
So far, at least 3,823 people have been killed and 15,859 injured in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since the war on Gaza began in October last year.
Continuing Conflict:
Before the ceasefire was announced, Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued, with Israeli warplanes bombing Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Reporting from Beirut, Al Jazeera correspondent Zein Basravi stated that Israeli attacks continued shortly after Biden’s speech, in which he announced the imminent ceasefire.
“Five minutes after Biden finished his speech, we heard loud explosions in Beirut. Once again, sirens began to sound in northern Israel,” he reported.
Earlier, the Israeli army reported that a series of strikes had hit 20 targets in Beirut in just two minutes. Seven people were killed and 37 injured after an Israeli attack on a building in Beirut housing displaced people, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported, citing the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
“The Israeli attack in the Nweiri area of Beirut destroyed a four-story building housing displaced people,” Lebanon’s official news agency said.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that in total, Israeli strikes killed at least 31 people, mainly in southern Lebanon, on Monday.
Pressure for ceasefire in Gaza:
Al Jazeera correspondent Kimberly Halkett from the White House office noted that the ceasefire announcement comes in the final days of Biden’s term.
President-elect Donald Trump will take office on January 20.
The Biden administration has tried several times to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, but has been unsuccessful. The US government has repeatedly refused to use American military aid to Israel as a form of pressure to seek peace.
In the “coming days”, the US “will make a new attempt with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, with the release of the hostages and an end to the war without Hamas remaining in power ,” Biden said in a post on media platform X this Wednesday.
“The reality is that [o cessar-fogo de terça-feira] does not achieve the Biden administration’s objective as it in no way addresses the conflict in Gaza,” Halkett noted.
Still, during the speech, Biden pledged to “make one more attempt with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to reach a ceasefire in Gaza” in the final days of his term.
He also promised to work to establish new normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, a goal that was undermined by the war in Gaza.
With information from News Agencies
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2024/11/27/libano-respira-aliviado-com-cessar-fogo-entre-israel-e-hezbollah/
