Egypt Daily News – As the escalation continues on the Israeli-Lebanese front, the Washington Post reported on Thursday that Israel is preparing a ceasefire plan in Lebanon as a gift to President-elect Donald Trump, as described by officials.
An Israeli government minister discussed the proposal with Trump and Jared Kushner. An aide close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump and Kushner that Israel is rushing to move forward with a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.
The United States is also working to resolve a fundamental point of contention that hinders reaching a ceasefire in Lebanon, related to the Border Control Committee and monitoring the withdrawal of Hezbollah with its weapons north of the Litani river.
Another contentious point being negotiated is Israel’s demand for the right to operate in Lebanon and act alone against any anti-Hezbollah activity. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, for his part, seems committed to this clause, and said that there is no ceasefire without guaranteeing the right to act individually against Hezbollah.
The draft agreement in general includes agreed-upon main points: the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon within 7 days of signing the agreement, and the Lebanese army assuming administration of the region. Lebanon’s commitment to monitoring the movement of weapons on its territory to prevent them from reaching Hezbollah.
This comes as the political leadership in Israel approved the move to the second phase of the ground operation in Lebanon, to include attacking additional villages in the south.
This step comes in light of the expansion of the Israeli bombing in Lebanon and the continuation of battles in the south, where the Israeli army announced the death of 6 of its soldiers there.
Maariv newspaper reported that the Israeli army began a second phase of the ground incursion into Lebanon, with operations focusing on dismantling Hezbollah’s military capabilities. This stage is accompanied by intense raids on vital targets of the party throughout Lebanon.
The Israeli army continues to target the Hezbollah’s positions, claiming to reduce its threats to the surrounding Israeli towns. However the UN Security Council denounced the attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) during recent weeks, and called on all parties to ensure the safety of its members.
Security Council members also stressed in a declaration that UNIFIL personnel should never be the target of any attack.
