Samira, a mother of five, was forced to leave her home following bombardment and is now living with her children in the streets of Martyrs Square in Beirut. Credit: UNICEF/Fouad Choufany

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 27 2024 (IPS)

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah comes into effect early on Wednesday morning (November 27). It is hoped that this will mark an end to a 13-month-long period of hostilities between the two parties in Lebanon.

News of the ceasefire came from United States President Joe Biden, who made a televised announcement on Tuesday afternoon that an agreement had been reached between the Israeli and Lebanese governments. Biden remarked that the ceasefire was expected to be a “permanent cessation of hostilities” from both sides of the conflict.

“Civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities and begin to rebuild their homes, their schools, their farms, their businesses, and their very lives,” said Biden. “We are determined that this conflict will not just be another cycle of violence.”

Under the ceasefire agreements, which will initially last for sixty days, fighting at the Israel-Lebanon border will come to an end, and Israeli troops are expected to gradually withdraw from south Lebanon. Hezbollah is expected to pull back north of the Litani river, ending their presence in southern Lebanon.

The implementation of this ceasefire will be overseen by the United States, France, and the United Nations through the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The UN has made repeated calls for the full implementation of resolution 1701 (2006), which calls for an end to the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and the need for Lebanon to exert government control.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire deal, noting that it would be an “essential step towards restoring calm and stability in Lebanon,” while also warning that Israel must commit to the agreement and abide by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006). Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared in a video statement shortly before the ceasefire deal was reached that Israel would retaliate if Hezbollah made any moves that violated the terms of the ceasefire.

Senior leaders in the UN, including Secretary-General António Guterres, welcomed the ceasefire announcement. In an official statement from his office, Guterres urges the parties to “fully respect and swiftly implement all of their commitments made under this agreement.”

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, also released a statement where she welcomed the ceasefire agreement. She went on to remark that this would signify the start of a critical process, “anchored in the full implementation” of the Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), to go forward in restoring the safety and security of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line.

“Considerable work lies ahead to ensure that the agreement endures. Nothing less than the full and unwavering commitment of both parties is required,” Hennis-Plasschaert said. “It is clear that the status quo of implementing only select provisions of Resolution 1701 (2006) while paying lip service to others will not suffice. Neither side can afford another period of disingenuous implementation under the guise of ostensible calm.”

The ceasefire agreement comes after a year-long period of escalating tensions and fighting, which began shortly after the October 7 Hamas terror attacks in Israel. Hostilities ramped up in September of this year when the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) made repeated attacks on southern Lebanon. The fallout of the humanitarian situation has seen the displacement of over 900,000 civilians since October 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Over 3823 civilian casualties have been confirmed within Lebanon and Israel. Of those casualties, at least 1356 civilians have been killed since October 8, 2023.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said that the work must begin to sustain this peace and that children and families, including those displaced and in host communities, need to be ensured a safe return. Humanitarian organizations need to be “granted safe, timely, and unimpeded access to deliver lifesaving aid and services to all affected areas.”

“We call on all parties to uphold their commitments, respect international law, and work with the international community to sustain peace and ensure a brighter future for children,” said Russell. “Children deserve stability, hope, and a chance to rebuild their futures. UNICEF will continue to stand with them every step of the way.”

Even as a ceasefire seemed imminent, on Tuesday Israeli warplanes bombarded Beirut’s southern neighborhoods. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of 24 civilians. Al Jazeera reported that even amidst Biden’s announcement, the war in Lebanon was “still very much going.”

In recent months, UNIFIL forces have been caught in the crossfires and have faced challenges in fulfilling their mandate. Most recently, four Italian peacekeepers were injured when rockets hit the headquarters in Shama, though they did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

On this incident, UNIFIL stated: “The deliberate or accidental targeting of peacekeepers serving in south Lebanon must cease immediately to ensure their safety and uphold international law.” Earlier this month, UNIFIL released a statement detailing the actions the IDF took against the peacekeepers, including the “deliberate and direct destruction” of UNIFIL property.

During his address on Tuesday, Biden acknowledged Gaza and the lack of a ceasefire for the ongoing war. “Just as the people of Lebanon deserve a future of security and prosperity, so do the people of Gaza,” Biden said. “They too deserve an end to the fighting and the displacement. The people of Gaza have been through hell. Their world is absolutely shattered. Far too many civilians in Gaza have suffered far too much.”

Biden pledged that the United States would make another push to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, along with Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar, and Israel; one that would see an end to the violence and the release of all hostages. The United States has vetoed Security Council resolutions that would have called for a ceasefire resolution on four separate occasions, most recently this November.

IPS UN Bureau Report