Israel-Lebanon latest: Hamas ‘ready’ for own truce as Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire begins
Israel warns evacuated residents of Lebanon to not head home yet
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Your support makes all the difference.The Hamas group says it is ready to reach a ceasefire in Gaza with Israel after a truce between Benjamin Netanyahu and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon began on Wednesday.
“We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” a senior official of Hamas told AFP.
US president Joe Biden on Tuesday said Washington will push for a ceasefire in Gaza in the coming days and secure the release of hostages.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon began a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut since the start of the conflict, killing at least 42 people across the country.
There were no immediate reports of alleged violations of the truce, which began at 4am (local time) and there were signs of celebration in Beirut.
However, Israel has warned residents evacuated from southern Lebanon not to head home yet due to the ongoing military deployment in the region.
The ceasefire comes after more than a year of near-daily rocket fire, ferocious airstrikes and on-the-ground skirmishes between Israeli forces and the militant group across Lebanon.
Airstrikes hit dozens of Hezbollah targets this morning, IDF says
Israeli fighter jets have bombed dozens of Hezbollah targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon, according to the IDF, as fighting intensifies in the lead-up to a ceasefire deal being struck between the sides later today.
In a series of statements posted on social media platform X, the Israeli Defence Force said it acted on intelligence to attack buildings used by Hezbollah’s coastal missile unit, military headquarters, and other infrastructure this morning.
“All of the targets that were attacked were deliberately placed by Hezbollah in the heart of the civilian population, another example of the terrorist organization Hezbollah’s cynical use of Lebanese citizens as a human shield,” the IDF said, adding it took steps to warn the civilian population ahead of the strikes.
Before the attack, many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including early intelligence gathering, accurate observation, and advance warnings for the evacuation of the population in the area.
The IDF said it also targeted weapons, anti-tank missile, and air-defence depots in the Bint Jabal area in the country’s south, and in the early morning attacked 30 sites in the south that included Hezbollah weapons caches and military headquarters.
“Additional weapons depots associated with the ‘Nasser’ unit, which is responsible for many terrorist attacks against the northern settlements and the IDF forces, were also attacked,” the IDF statement said of the unit operating on the conflict’s southern front.
Israel’s deputy foreign minister says ICC warrant encourages evil
Israel’s deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel has slammed the recent arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a political decision that only serves the interests of Israel’s enemies.
In a broadcast speech, Ms Haskel said the warrant “deprived the most threatened country in the world” of its right to defend itself.
“Israel has been attak from six different fronts from a few countries that are surrounding it and are far away,” she said, adding the ICC has made itself a “vessel” at the disposal of extremist groups.
“From a political perspective, it actually encourages the axis of evil.”
She said the fact that both Hamas and Iran congratulated the issuing of the warrant, which also targeted Mr Netanyahu’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Netanyahu can secure majority needed for ceasefire deal: former Israel justice minister
Israel’s former justice minister Yossi Beilin has told news broadcaster Al Jazeera prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be able to secure the majority needed to land the ceasefire deal when he meets with the national security cabinet later today.
“There are some ministers, especially the lunatic ones, who will be against any ceasefire anywhere in the world, but they are not threatening neither the decision nor even the government,” Al Jazeera has reported Mr Beilin as saying during an interview from Tel Aviv.
CNN is also reporting Mr Netanyahu has agreed in-principle to the deal.
It comes after Israel’s national security minister and far-right party leader Itamar Ben Gvir warned a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah is a “big mistake”.
Al Jazeera has reported Beilin as saying many Israelis opposed a ceasefire. “This is understandable, because as long as Hezbollah is an armed militia in Lebanon, it takes hostage the government of Lebanon ... and is a threat on Israel,” he said.
‘No support, no mercy’: Gazans fear greater onslaught without similar deal
The prospect of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon‘s Hezbollah without a similar deal with Hamas in Gaza has left Palestinians feeling abandoned and fearful that Israel will focus squarely on its onslaught in the enclave.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing missiles at Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel in October of 2023, triggering the Gaza war.
But while diplomacy focuses on Lebanon, Palestinians say they feel let down by the world after 14 months of conflict which has devastated the Gaza Strip and killed more than 44,000 people.
“It showed Gaza is an orphan, with no support and no mercy from the unjust world,” said Abdel-Ghani, a father of five who only gave a first name.
“I am angry against the world that has failed to bring one solution to the two regions ... maybe, there will be another deal for Gaza, maybe.”
Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman, said he and others had “high hopes that Hezbollah would remain steadfast until the end, but it seems they couldn’t.”
An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire without a deal for Gaza would be a blow to Hamas, whose leaders had hoped the expansion of the war into Lebanon would pressure Israel to reach a comprehensive ceasefire.
IDF soldier injured in border region drone attack
The Times of Israel is reporting rocket and drone fire into border communities in the country’s north has seen two elderly people and a soldier injured.
According to the national news oulet, the Israeli Defence Force reported shooting down a Hezbollah drone that went into Golan Heights, near the Israel-Lebanon-Syria border, early on Tuesday morning.
However, a female IDF soldier was taken to hospital after being seriously wounded in a drone attack on the Mount Hermon area hours later.
Imagery of Beirut airstrikes emerging
Imagery has emerged of the Israeli airstrikes in southern Beirut this morning ahead of an impending ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.
The photo shows sections of the city up in smoke, after the Israeli Defence Force issued an evacuation warning ahead of the targeted strikes.
Hezbollah has kept up rocket fire into Israel as pressure mounts on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the terms of a deal that could pave the way for greater piece in the region.
Israel strikes Beirut suburbs ahead of ceasefire deal
Israel airstrikes in southern Beirut have demolished sections of Hezbollah-controlled suburbs, as the militant group also kept up rocket fire into Israel.
The IDF issued an evacuation warning on social media platform X earlier this morning, telling all residents in some southern suburbs, “you are located near Hezbollah facilities and interests, against which the IDF will operate in the near future.”
“For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate these buildings and those adjacent to them immediately and stay away from them for a distance of no less than 500 meters,” the post said.
The IDF released a map, telling residents it was targeting Burj Al-Barajneh and the pond enclosure.
Israel’s UN ambassador says nation could still strike Lebanon under deal
On Monday, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, asserted Israel would maintain an ability to strike southern Lebanon under any agreement.
Lebanon has previously objected to Israel being granted such a right, and Lebanese officials have said such language is not included in the draft proposal.
However, two Israeli officials told Reuters news agency Israel had a side agreement with the US allowing it to take action in Lebanon against “imminent threats.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Force has this morning continued its warnings of the threats it says Hezbollah poses, posting on social media platform X the militant political group “endangers UN peacekeepers, Israeli and Lebanese civilians alike.”
The IDF has reported Hezbollah fired rockets toward the northern Golan Heights, near the Israel-Syria-Lebanon border, damaging a UN outpost.
“A message was sent to the UN prior to the event, advising that all UN personnel enter/stay near protected areas,” the post this morning said, adding the IDF conducted an inspect after the strike.
“It was concluded that the damage was in fact caused by the fallout from Hezbollah’s rockets which were launched toward northern Israel.”
Israel will have ‘zero tolerance’ towards breaches of deal
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, says the nation will show “zero tolerance” towards any infraction of an impending ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, as Israel demands the UN enforce the terms of the agreement.
“Any house in southern Lebanon that is rebuilt and established as a terrorist base will be destroyed, every armament and terrorist regrouping will be struck, every attempt to smuggle weapons will be thwarted and any threat to our forces or to Israeli citizens will be destroyed immediately,” Katz has reportedly told the U.N.’s special co-ordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, according to Reuters.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will chair a security council meeting later today, where the deal will be considered, but Katz’ rhetoric in the lead-up to the discussion signals it is likely to be approved.
Israel says any deal with Lebanon will maintain its ability to act to remove the threat of Hezbollah, while Lebanon has said it will send 5,000 troops into the border region to maintain piece.
Israeli minister and far-right leader Ben Gvir urges against ceasefire deal
Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir has warned a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah is a “big mistake” and that the agreement would be a “missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah”.
The leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit took to X yesterday to announce his grievances over the impending deal as the international community ramps up pressure for Israel to agree to the terms, which would see Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon, and Lebanese troops to move into the border region, a Hezbollah stronghold.
“An agreement with Lebanon is a big mistake. A historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah,” he said.
“I understand all the constraints and reasons, and it is still a grave mistake. You have to listen to the commanders fighting in the field, listen to the heads of the authorities.”
He said it was “forbidden to stop” when Hezbollah was beaten and longing for a ceasefire. “As I warned before in Gaza, I warn now as well: Mr. Prime Minister - it is not too late to stop this agreement! We must continue until the absolute victory!”
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