Cabinet announces ceasefire in Lebanon, taking effect 4 a.m. tomorrow, by a vote of 10-1

The deal passed through the war and general cabinet before being fully approved.

By YUVAL BARNEANOVEMBER 26, 2024 16:25Updated: NOVEMBER 26, 2024 22:57

A ceasefire in Lebanon was announced by the Israeli cabinet at 10:30 p.m. by a vote of 10 to 1, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office.

President Biden announced that the deal would take effect at 4 a.m. tomorrow.

The ceasefire deal for Lebanon will provide the conditions needed for a return to calm in the country, and France and the United States will both work to ensure the ceasefire is fully implemented, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron said in a joint statement.

This comes after several days of strained last-minute negotiation, in which Israel pushed for the removal of France as guarantor of the security situation in Lebanon, citing current diplomatic tensions between France and Israel.

The deal passed through the war and general cabinet before being fully approved. Netanyahu also ran the ceasefire past by the heads of the local authorities in the North, many of whom responded with anger at being told the deal would not lead to an immediate return to their homes.

Members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee demanded Defense Minister Israel Katz present the ceasefire agreement to them before final approval.

What’s on the table?

An Israeli official told Maariv that the ceasefire was not the end of the war and that Israel maintained its right to respond to any threat.

The source also said that the severing of the connection between the Gazan and Lebanese fronts would leave Hamas isolated, something also highlighted by Netanyahu in his speech.

Sources told Saudi channel Al Hadath that there would be no buffer zone in South Lebanon according to the agreement.

Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah MP, told Reuters in response to the announcement that Hezbollah would remain active, including in providing social services to displaced Lebanese civilians.

Fadlallah called the final hours before the ceasefire “dangerous, sensitive hours,” given that the IDF launched a large-scale attack on Beirut earlier on Tuesday.

MK Zvi Sukkot, Otzmah Yehudit, said he would support a ceasefire as the IDF had managed to remove 80% of the leading figures in Hezbollah, reversing his previous opposition.

Several other right-wing figures have come out either conditionally approving or rejecting the ceasefire, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Naftali Bennett.

Source: Jerusalem Post