Residential buildings in Beirut come under attack
Beirut, November 27 (RHC)-- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, to end more than a year of escalating tensions and almost two months of military invasion in Lebanon.
In a statement alongside the occupation cabinet, Netanyahu confirmed that Israel will implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, pledging to gradually withdraw its forces from south of the “Blue Line” within a maximum of 60 days.
The agreement provides that Israel will not take additional military action against Lebanon, although Netanyahu warned that they reserve the right to take action if Hezbollah violates the terms. The prime minister highlighted three main motivations for the ceasefire: focusing on the Iranian threat, allowing the resupply of military forces and disengaging the conflict fronts, isolating Hamas.
Hezbollah Political Council Vice Chairman Hajj Mahmud Komati expressed caution over the agreement, expressing doubts about Netanyahu’s commitment and warning of possible pitfalls in the negotiation. For his part, Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati harshly criticized Israeli actions, noting that the attacks on Beirut demonstrate hatred towards the capital, which he considers an “incubator” for all Lebanese.
According to Israeli media reports, the ceasefire is expected to come into effect between 4:00 and 6:00 tomorrow, with the United States and France officially announcing the agreement tonight at 22:00 local time.
However, prior to the agreement, the situation in Beirut has been tense. The Israeli army has warned of its intention to attack multiple targets in the country, which has resulted in at least three drone strikes in the past hour. One of these attacks in the Barbour district caused three deaths and ten injuries, while another in the Nuweiri district left seven dead and 37 injured in a bombing of a residential building.
The imminence of the agreement caused an almost total paralysis of traffic in Beirut, with numerous residents of central areas seeking refuge in areas considered safer, mainly towards the seafront and the north of the capital.
Netanyahu reiterated the commitment to return residents of the north to their homes and emphasized that this agreement represents a significant change in the geopolitics of the Middle East.
In contrast to the announcement, on this day Israel intensified the attacks against Lebanon, destroying several buildings in Beirut, and in more than 20 announcements were issued to evacuate them.
Also on Tuesday, more than 40 UN human rights experts and rapporteurs called on the international community to comply with the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
