Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon has not been fully formulated yet, considering that Hezbollah’s opposition to the agreement means, from the Israeli point of view, that there is no existing agreement at the present time.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted Netanyahu as saying during the cabinet meeting that “the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon has not yet been fully formulated, and Hezbollah opposes it, and therefore, from Israel’s point of view, there is no agreement currently.”
In the same context, Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told the cabinet ministers that the decision on the next path rests with the political level, stressing that the army is also ready to expand the scope of the fighting.
According to informed sources, Zamir added: “If it is possible to reach a ceasefire under conditions acceptable to us, it is better for that to happen today, not a month later, under the same conditions.”
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation indicated that the security establishment has not yet received instructions to implement the agreement, and that operational behavior in Lebanon remains the same, including restrictions imposed on activity in Beirut.
According to Israeli and American officials, the Israeli conditions for a ceasefire are demilitarization from the southern Lebanon region to the Litani River, maintaining the security strip controlled by Israel, and freedom of movement to remove what it considers immediate threats.
Officials familiar with the dialogue between Israel and the United States also reported that the administration of US President Donald Trump has shown understanding of these conditions.
This comes after the US State Department announced yesterday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to implement a ceasefire, on the condition that Hezbollah adhere to the ceasefire and withdraw from the area south of the Litani River, at the conclusion of the last round of talks held between the two sides in Washington.
The American statement indicated that Israel and Lebanon confirmed that there were no hostile intentions between them, and pledged to continue direct negotiations to build confidence, address outstanding issues, and work towards a comprehensive agreement between the two countries.
