Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday extolled the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire deal struck overnight and defended it against critics, saying it could lead to a peace agreement and “real and permanent security” for Israel’s northern residents.
Members of the opposition should “apologize and give thanks for the great achievement up until now in Lebanon, on the ground itself and on the political level,” he said in a statement.
One of the most vociferous attacks on the agreement came from a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s own government. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of the Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish Power”) Party took to social media to call it a “serious mistake and the pipe dreams of advisers who are dragging the prime minister into wrong decisions.
“The state of Lebanon is a partner of Hezbollah. There are ministers in its government from Hezbollah, and relatives of Hezbollah members serve in the Lebanese army. In practice, Hezbollah will only grow stronger, and instead of defeating it, Israel is coming to terms with its very existence,” Ben-Gvir said.
The ceasefire was brokered in Washington, D.C., during a high-level trilateral meeting involving American mediation.
Katz listed the key points agreed upon that were advantageous to Israel, including the disarmament of Hezbollah and the dismantlement of its infrastructure; the removal of the terrorist group from areas south of the Litani River; and Israel’s continued presence in a security zone within Lebanon.
Israel also reserved the right to strike terrorist targets in Beirut (with U.S. backing) in response to any attacks by Hezbollah on Israeli communities, Katz said.
According to a June 3 statement by the United States, Israel and Lebanon on the State Department’s website, the ceasefire is “contingent” on Hezbollah halting fire and moving north of the Litani. The agreement also calls for the creation of “pilot zones” in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take control “to the exclusion of all non-state actors.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told press on Thursday that Lebanon proposed the first pilot zones start along the “Zawtars,” meaning the towns of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Zawtar al-Gharbiyah in Southern Lebanon, Yohmor, a town in the Beqaa Valley, and the Beaufort Castle area.
Aoun said the statement released following the talks contain “very important points in favor of Lebanon” and are the “last opportunity to enter into a final and comprehensive ceasefire, with each party bearing responsibility in the event of non-compliance.”
In the statement, the U.S. expressed support for the Lebanese army and reiterated its commitment to help strengthen it capabilities. It said that Hezbollah is the not only the enemy of Israel and America, but also of Lebanon.
The agreement appeared to decouple the ongoing talks between the U.S. and Iran from the situation in Lebanon. Tehran has linked the fighting in Lebanon with ceasefire talks, demanding that Israel stop battling its proxy Hezbollah as part of any deal. Iran’s insistence has led the U.S. administration to pressure Israel to cut back on its attacks.
However, the State Department statement on Wednesday said the U.S. “reaffirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached directly between the two governments, brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track.”
Lebanon and Israel agreed to reconvene in the week of June 22 with the aim of reaching a comprehensive agreement.
