30m ago
07.55 CET
Summary
of the day so far
It’s coming
up on 9am in Tel Aviv, Beirut and Gaza. Here’s a recap of the latest
developments:
- A 60-day ceasefire agreement brokered by the US between Israel and Hezbollah came into force at 4am local time (2am GMT) on Wednesday. If it holds, it represents a major milestone in the 14-month-old war in Lebanon, and will see Israel withdraw entirely from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah will move its heavy weaponry north of the Litani River, about 18 miles (25km) north of the border.
- Joe Biden, the US president, hailed the “historic” deal and said it was designed to be a “permanent cessation of hostilities”. Biden issued a joint statement with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, pledging that both countries would work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure the agreement is “fully implemented and enforced”.
- The Israeli military warned displaced Lebanese residents from the country’s south that they could not return immediately as it remained a military area. “We will update you when it is safe to return to your homes,” the army’s spokesperson said in a post on social media. Though the ceasefire terms stipulate the IDF must withdraw completely from southern Lebanon within the 60-day period, it is not expected take place immediately.
- Lebanon’s army said on Wednesday morning it is preparing to deploy to the south of the country. The deployment is in accordance with UN resolution 1701 – which formed the basis of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.
- Despite those warnings, streams of cars carrying people displaced from southern Lebanon in recent months began heading south early on Wednesday after the ceasefire came into force. Some celebratory gunshots could be heard in parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs. Residents whooped and cheered as they drove into Tyre, the second largest city in south Lebanon.
- Importantly for Israel, Hezbollah dropped its demand that a ceasefire in Lebanon was contingent on ending the fighting in Gaza. The Israel-Hezbollah deal will not have any direct effect on the fighting in Gaza, where US efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have not led to a deal. “Just as the Lebanese people deserve a future of security and prosperity, so do the people of Gaza,” Biden said during his address on Tuesday.
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, endorsed the ceasefire after his full cabinet approved the deal. He said Israel would retain “complete military freedom of action” and would respond “forcefully” if Hezbollah violated the agreement. In televised remarks, Netanyahu said that there were three reasons to pursue a ceasefire: to focus on the threat from Iran; replenish depleted arms supplies and rest tired reservists; and to isolate Hamas.
- News of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal was welcomed by world leaders. The UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, called for the ceasefire to be turned into “a lasting political solution”, adding that Britain and its allies would continue to be at the “forefront of efforts to break the ongoing cycle of violence” to achieve a “long-term, sustainable” peace in the Middle East. The president of the EU commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described it as “very encouraging news”.
- Iran on Wednesday said it welcomed the end of Israel’s “aggression” in Lebanon, after a ceasefire deal came into force between Israel and Hezbollah, an armed group backed financially and militarily by Tehran. It reiterated its support for the Lebanese government.
- Israeli airstrikes continued to pound Beirut even as Biden announced the ceasefire deal late on Tuesday and right down to the final hour before the truce took effect.
- At least 3,823 people have been killed and 15,859 others wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since October 2023, according to the Lebanese health ministry on Tuesday. The latest figures include 55 people killed and 160 injured in strikes on Monday alone, the ministry said.
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário