Israel agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon. Here’s what that means

Israel and Lebanon accepted a US-backed proposal to end the 13 months border conflict which turned into an all-out war in September with Hezbollah.

From the Rose Garden of the White House, US President Joe Biden said the agreement that came into effect early Wednesday morning at 4 a.m. local time (9 p.m. ET Tuesday) “is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.”

The ceasefire “will create the conditions to restore lasting calm and allow residents of both countries to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line,” according to a joint statement by Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, referring to the de facto border between Lebanon and Israel.

The US and France will work with both sides to “ensure that this arrangement is fully implemented and enforced.”

After Israel’s security cabinet voted for approval DEAit On Tuesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the ceasefire in Lebanon must guarantee the safety of residents of northern Israel.

“The emerging arrangement will have to meet only one test – guaranteeing full security for all residents of the north,” he told X. While the ceasefire is “correct and important,” Herzog said Israel will protect its citizens “in any kind. “

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire agreement and thanked both the US and France for their efforts during a call with Biden on Tuesday.

Hezbollah also agreed to the terms of the deal, according to several Lebanese sources.

What does the business entail?

The agreement stipulates a 60-day cessation of hostilities, which negotiators described as the foundation of a lasting truce. During this time, Hezbollah fighters are expected to withdraw to about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Israel-Lebanon border, while Israeli ground forces withdraw from Lebanese territory.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the last all-out war between the two countries in 2006, was the basis of the agreement, and negotiations have mainly revolved around implementing the treaty.

Under the agreement, Lebanon will implement more rigorous surveillance of Hezbollah movements south of the country’s Litani River to prevent militants from regrouping there. UN peacekeepers, the Lebanese army and a multinational committee will be tasked with monitoring the Iran-backed group’s movements.

Israel has promised to resume military operations if the agreement is violated.

Will the truce hold?

The cease-fire agreement heralds a much-needed respite for Lebanese civilians, hundreds of whom have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, as well as Israelis, millions of whom have taken shelter amid Hezbollah’s daily rocket bombardment.

But there are questions about how long the truce can last. Israel insists it will take military action in response to any violation of the agreement. This could reignite the conflict, jeopardizing US-backed diplomatic efforts.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah agreed to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River, about 40 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border at its farthest point. It made this concession in 2006, but violated it by building vast underground infrastructure in an area where its members are part of the social fabric. Israel has also violated the 2006 agreement by flying almost daily flights into Lebanon.

Ceasefire violations have allowed Hezbollah to build up its forces heavily, while Israel has gathered intelligence about the militant group that would prove to be a game changer in the 2024 war.

However, the 2006 ceasefire lasted nearly two decades, the longest period of calm along this political line since the 1960s.

How Hezbollah and Israel got here

Hezbollah first began firing into Israeli-held territory a day after Hamas’s October 7 surprise attack in Israel killed an estimated 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, triggering Israel’s devastating offensive in deployment in Gaza. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly vowed to continue firing rockets into Israel until it ceases its attack on Gaza.

In an overnight meeting that began on September 16, that of Israel war cabinet expanded its stated war aims to include the return of displaced residents of the country’s north, as daily Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel has driven more than 60,000 Israelis from their homes.

Hours later, Israel detonated thousands of Hezbollah pagers, killing dozens and injuring hundreds. An attack on the group followed walkie-talkie the next day. On September 23Israel launched an all-out offensive on Shiite-majority areas across the country, where Hezbollah wields significant influence, killing more than 500 people in Lebanon’s deadliest day since its civil war that ended in 1990.

On September 27Israel killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader Nasrallah in a massive attack in the southern suburbs of Beirut, canceling truce talks. A series of subsequent attacks decimated the group’s leadership, sending the organization even deeper underground.

Israeli attacks continued to hit large parts of the country, mainly the Shia-majority area in the south, east and southern suburbs of Beirut known as Dahiyeh, killing more than 3,700 Lebanese.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah continued to fire rockets into Israel at a steady pace, with some of the projectiles striking more than 70 miles into the country. The vast majority of its missiles and drones were intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems, but some caused damage. Since October 2023, Hezbollah attacks on Israel have killed 47 Israeli civilians and 31 Israeli security forces. Another 46 Israeli soldiers were killed in Lebanon.

Would this truce have an impact on the war in Gaza?

The signing of the deal with Lebanon is unlikely to provide respite for the Palestinians in Gaza, according to a regional analyst.

A Hezbollah-Israel deal “means nothing for Gaza,” HA Hellyer, senior associate research fellow in security studies at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, told CNN before the deal was signed.

“I don’t think that any deal on Lebanon is going to make one in Gaza any more likely,” Hellyer said, adding that there had been no substantial ceasefire negotiations in Gaza for a long time.

More than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began more than a year ago, according to the territory’s health ministry. Arab states, the UN and aid groups have repeatedly called for an end to Israel’s offensive, which has displaced nearly all of Gaza’s population of more than 2 million and flattened entire neighborhoods.

However, a senior US official told CNN last week that a deal with Hezbollah would “send a signal to Hamas” that Israel and its partners would do everything possible to secure a deal to return the hostages held in Gaza.

“If we have a deal with Lebanon, we will come down like a ton of bricks on Hamas to try to get a deal with hostages,” the US official said before the deal was signed, adding that Israel must “transform this army. success…in a strategic success.”

The United States last week rejected another UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, arguing that it did not sufficiently tie that ceasefire to the immediate release of hostages from the territory.

CNN’s Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report.

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