Israel will sign an agreement with Lebanon only under conditions when the authorities in Beirut agree with all Israeli demands for the return of evacuated residents of the north to their homes and in the presence of international security guarantees, Dmitry Gendelman, an adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office said.
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Gendelman recalled that the decision of the military-political cabinet on September 17 of this year determined the goal of Israeli military operations on the northern front was the safe return of local residents to their homes.
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“Israel welcomes the negotiating efforts of the United States and other countries for a ceasefire, but we will be ready to sign an agreement when all our conditions for the safe return of citizens to their homes are accepted by the Lebanese authorities and accompanied by appropriate guarantees from international mediators,” the adviser said in response.
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when asked to comment on reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly gave preliminary consent to the American settlement plan.
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Earlier on Monday, CNN reported, citing an informed source, that Netanyahu had tentatively approved a possible ceasefire agreement with the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, but Israel wanted to submit some reservations and transfer them to the Lebanese authorities.
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According to the Israeli state broadcaster Kan, Israel estimates that a settlement agreement with Lebanon can be reached within this week. On Sunday evening, Ynet reported, citing Israeli, American and Lebanese sources, that Israel had provisionally approved a proposed ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is now subject to final cabinet approval.
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In early November, Kan published an American draft ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, according to which southern Lebanon would be controlled exclusively by the country’s armed forces and UN peacekeepers in accordance with resolution 1701, and Israel would completely withdraw its troops from Lebanon within seven days of the ceasefire .
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The UN Security Council adopted resolution 1701 following the 2006 Israeli-Lebanese war. In accordance with this resolution, the Hezbollah movement must withdraw its formations north of the Litani River, that is, more than 30 kilometers from the border with Israel. The Lebanese army should deploy 5 to 10 thousand soldiers along the border, and to control security, it is also necessary to increase the peacekeeping contingent of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
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Since October 1, Israel has been conducting a ground operation against Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon and continues aerial bombing of the neighboring country, where several thousand people have already been killed, including the leaders of the Shiite Hezbollah movement. Despite losses, including in command personnel, Hezbollah is conducting ground battles and does not stop rocket attacks on Israeli territory. The main goal of the military campaign in Israel is to create conditions for the return of 60 thousand residents of the north who were evacuated due to shelling launched by Hezbollah a year ago in support of the Palestinian Hamas movement.
