2024 Israel–Lebanon ceasefire agreement

2024 Israel–Lebanon ceasefire agreement

The Israel–Lebanon–Syria border region
Type	Ceasefire agreement
Context	Temporarily stopping the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the Israel–Hezbollah conflict, designed to cease hostilities permanently
Signed	26 November 2024 (2024-11-26)
Effective	27 November 2024 (2024-11-27), 02:00 GMT
Mediators	United States France
Parties	Israel Lebanon

On 27 November 2024, a ceasefire agreement was signed by Israel, Lebanon, and several mediating countries including the United States. Since 8 October 2023, Israel and Hezbollah had been fighting and on 1 October 2024, Israel began its invasion of Lebanon. The agreement mandates a 60-day halt to hostilities, during which Israel must withdraw its forces from Southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah must withdraw its forces to north of the Litani River. A five-country monitoring panel, led by the United States, will oversee the implementation, with 5,000 Lebanese troops deployed to ensure compliance. The agreement does not preclude either Israel or Lebanon from acting in self-defence, but Israeli and Lebanese officials disagreed with what that entails. Since the ceasefire went into effect, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 3 civilians. Nevertheless, media reported that the ceasefire had largely continued to hold.

In November 2024, US envoy Amos Hochstein met with Lebanese and Israeli leaders to negotiate the ceasefire deal. In Lebanon, he met with Lebanese Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, who had Hezbollah's support to negotiate. On 20 November, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem approved the deal. France was added as a mediator to the deal after it walked back on its statement that it would arrest Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes. After some delays from the Israeli side, Hochstein threatened to withdraw from negotiations unless Israel moved forward with the deal. On 26 November, Israel's security cabinet endorsed the agreement with a 10–1 vote. The ceasefire was hailed as a significant accomplishment for the administration of US president Joe Biden, with Biden stating that the agreement was "designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities."

The 2006 Lebanon war ended with UN Resolution 1701, which called for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, and for Hezbollah to disarm. However, it was violated by both sides, as Hezbollah continued to accumulate arms and the Israeli military continued to enter Lebanese territory even in the absence of any hostilities. The Lebanese army is weakened by economic crisis and insufficient resources and there are concerns over potential failure to enforce the terms of the ceasefire.

As of December 1, 2024, the Israeli army has allegedly violated the ceasefire at least 52 times, including with attacks on civilians, killing and injuring several. Hezbollah has also allegedly violated the ceasefire a few times by moving its troops south of the Litani river, and has allegedly fired on IDF troops at least once without causing casualties. Israeli airstrikes carried out in alleged violation of the ceasefire have killed at least 15 people as of December 3, including a Lebanese Army officer and several civilians.

Background

Main article: Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present)

Shortly after the onset of the Israel–Hamas war in October 2023, Hezbollah joined the conflict, citing solidarity with Palestinians. On 8 October 2023, Hezbollah started firing guided rockets and artillery shells at Israeli positions in the Shebaa Farms, which it said was in solidarity with Palestinians following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and beginning of Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip. Israel retaliated by launching drone strikes and artillery shells at Hezbollah positions. Israel also carried out airstrikes throughout Lebanon and in Syria. This quickly escalated into regular cross-border military exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel, impacting northern Israel, southern Lebanon and the Golan Heights. Hezbollah said it aimed to pressure Israel by forcing it to fight on two fronts. Hezbollah has offered an immediate ceasefire should a ceasefire also happen in Gaza.

In September 2024, Israel carried out two waves of electronic device attacks targeting Hezbollah's communication systems and assassinated the group's leading figures, including killing secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah during a bombing on 27 September which destroyed Hezbollah's main headquarters in Beirut. On 1 October, the Israeli military began a full-scale invasion of southern Lebanon although it had been conducting limited ground operations for some time. Israeli operations led to the significant dismantling of Hezbollah's military infrastructure in southern Lebanon and the destruction of a large portion of its missile stockpile.

In northern Israel, the conflict forced approximately 96,000 individuals to leave their homes, while in Lebanon, over 1.4 million individuals have been displaced. Hezbollah stated it would not stop attacks against Israel until it stops its military operations in Gaza; Israel said its attacks would continue until its citizens could return safely to the north.

Negotiation process

On 5 January 2024, then Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah called for negotiations on the demarcation of the border between Lebanon and Israel (also concerning the disputed Shebaa Farms territory). But he predicated these negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza. In July 2024, Nasrallah again promised a ceasefire on the Lebanese border should a ceasefire also happen in Gaza. In June 2024, US envoy Amos Hochstein travelled to Lebanon to meet Lebanese Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri. He also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. Hochstein also made a similar visit in August. A Lebanese analyst stated at the time that Hezbollah had not expected the war in Gaza "to continue for so long".

On 25 September, the United States, European Union, Qatar and several other countries called for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah expressed his agreement with this ceasefire proposal to the Lebanese Foreign Minister, but this was not communicated to the US State Department. On 27 September, Israel assassinated Nasrallah. A 60-day ceasefire was proposed in late October.

In November 2024, US envoy Amos Hochstein met with Lebanese and Israeli leaders to negotiate the ceasefire deal. In Lebanon, he met with Lebanese Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, who had Hezbollah's support to negotiate. On 20 November, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem approved the deal. France was added as a mediator to the deal after it walked back on its statement that it would arrest Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes. After some delays from the Israeli side, Hochstein threatened to withdraw from negotiations unless Israel moved forward with the deal. On 27 November, Israel's security cabinet endorsed the agreement with a 10–1 vote. The ceasefire was hailed as a significant accomplishment for the Biden Administration, with US President Joe Biden stating that the agreement was "designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities."

Agreement

On 26 November 2024, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu announced the transfer of a ceasefire agreement to the Security Cabinet of Israel. The cabinet voted 10–1 in favor of approving the deal, with the sole opponent being National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

According to Israeli reports, the ceasefire agreement will include several clauses:

1. Hezbollah, or any other armed movement in Lebanon, will not carry out any offensive action against Israel.
2. Israel will not carry out any offensive action against targets in Lebanon, including on the ground, in the air and at sea.
3. Israel and Lebanon recognize the importance of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
4. The Lebanese army and the Lebanese security forces will be the only armed groups authorized to operate in southern Lebanon.
5. Sale, supply and production of weapons in Lebanon will be under the supervision and control of the Lebanese government.
6. All unauthorized facilities involved in the production of weapons and their accessories will be dismantled, as well as infrastructure and military positions. Unauthorized weapons that do not comply with these obligations will be confiscated.
7. A committee will be established that will be acceptable to Israel and Lebanon, which will supervise and assist in ensuring the enforcement of the agreement. The enforcement will involve, among others, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
8. Israel and Lebanon will report any possible violation of the commitments to the aforementioned committee and UNIFIL.
9. Lebanese military forces will be deployed along all borders and crossing points in the country.
10. Israel will gradually withdraw its forces into Israeli territory in a period of up to 60 days.
11. During this period of time, Hezbollah operatives will withdraw to the north of the Litani River, while the armed forces that will be allowed to stay in this area will be the Lebanese Armed Forces and the UNIFIL force.
12. Israel will retain "complete military freedom of action" to attack Lebanon in the event of a violation of the agreement by Hezbollah or another entity in Lebanon.
13. A buffer zone will not be established between the villages of South Lebanon and the settlements on the conflict line.
14. The US will promote indirect negotiations between Israel and Lebanon to reach a recognized land border.

According to Lebanese reports, a Lebanese government source reported that if no escalations or breaches of the agreement occur by 10 a.m. local time on 27 November 2024, the ceasefire agreement will go into effect. Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati issued strong support for the agreement and urged the international community to help implement the agreement immediately in order to "halt Israeli aggression".

Violations

Israel has been accused of violating the ceasefire by the Lebanese government, by Hezbollah and by France. On December 2, France reported that Israel had violated the ceasefire 52 times. Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 3 Lebanese civilians since the ceasefire went into effect. Israel has accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire. As of November 28, there were no reported instances of Hezbollah firing at Israel since the ceasefire took effect.

First violation

Conflicting claims have arisen on what the first violation of the ceasefire was. As per Israel, the first violation occurred at 9:30 AM, at Kfar Kila, where "Hezbollah operatives reportedly entered the town of Kfar Kila, which is only a few kilometers from the border," including a local commander. Conflicting reports also arose on whether the four were arrested or driven away. In the same incident, Israeli artillery fired 5 shells towards the Fatima border gate near Khiyam.

By contrast, Lebanese state media claimed that the first violation of the ceasefire occurred on November 27, 2024, when Israeli forces opened fire on a group of journalists in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam, just hours after the ceasefire began. The journalists, including Abdelkader Bay, a video journalist, were reporting from the area when the shooting took place. Bay, along with another journalist from The Associated Press and one from Sputnik, were wounded by Israeli gunfire. Bay recounted hearing the sound of Israeli tanks withdrawing from the area, followed by the sounds of gunfire directed at the group of journalists as they were filming. Despite clearly being identifiable as journalists, they were targeted by Israeli soldiers. Another journalist, Ali Hachicho, who was not injured, described how the shots were fired as soon as the journalists began documenting the military activities. The incident was condemned by the Syndicate of Lebanese Press Editors, who marked it as the first violation of the ceasefire agreement.

By Hezbollah

The IDF said suspects approached border areas which the ceasefire makes off-limits. They also identified activity in a Hezbollah facility used to hold medium-range rockets. The IDF also said that 2 Hezbollah members entered a site in Southern Lebanon used to fire dozens of rockets at Israel. The IDF also said that Hezbollah members attempted to reach no-go zones near the Israel-Lebanon border in violation of the ceasefire agreement. Other suspects were reported to have arrived in violation of the ceasefire to Southern Lebanon. On December 1, the IDF identified Hezbollah operatives who it claimed fired at them from a church in South Lebanon, and killed several.

By Israel

The day after the ceasefire, the IDF shot at civilians returning to Khiam and used drones in the area, with reports from Israeli Army Radio and Channel 12 News indicating several civilian deaths. The Lebanese army did not comment on the incident. On 28 November, Lebanon accused Israel of violating the ceasefire with airstrikes and shelling on several villages, resulting in two injuries from tank fire. The Israeli airstrike targeted Hezbollah militants north of the Litani River, an area outside the ceasefire agreement. Additionally, Israeli forces injured civilians in Al-Taybeh and Marjeyouan, demolished homes in southern Lebanon, and moved into areas that it previously hadn't reached.

Hassan Fadlallah, a member of the Lebanese Parliament, claimed that Israel targeted civilians seeking to return home. On 27 November, Nabih Berri, who negotiated the agreement from the Lebanese side, had told Lebanese refugees that they could return home. Meanwhile, Israeli PM Netanyahu instructed the Israeli army not to immediately allow refugees into villages near the border. The IDF said this was for their own safety. The IDF fired warning shots at vehicles approaching Kafr Kila, shot several people in Mais al-Jabal, and detained four Lebanese citizens it said were Hezbollah members. Despite the warnings, thousands of displaced Lebanese families began to return to their homes in southern Lebanon.

Attacks on civilians and infrastructure

The IDF has been accused of several instances of civilian targeting and/or civilian infrastructure destruction since the ceasefire. No such instances have been attributed to Hezbollah as of December 1.
On November 27, the IDF shot at returning Lebanese civilians in Kafr Kila and shot several people in Mais al-Jabal.
From November 27-28, the IDF shot at returning civilians in Khiam and flew drones in the area, allegedly killing several and wounding more. That same day, the IDF allegedly shelled several Lebanese villages. Additionally, IDF tanks wounded 2 Lebanese civilians.
A drone strike targeting a civilian gathering in Al-Taybeh square injured 3 civilians and shelled areas of the Marjeyouan plain.
The IDF also allegedly demolished reportedly demolished numerous homes and moved in to the Tebna area. It also fired on civilians in a funeral.In Markaba, the IDF targeted a car with a drone-based airstrike and injured 3 civilians.
On November 29th, Israeli soldiers published a video of them deliberately running over and destroying ambulances in Southern Lebanon. On the same day, IDF forces pushed into areas of Lebanon which they had not previously entered with tanks and artillery, advancing on Markaba and Khiam. They reportedly began demolishing roads and buildings in the areas they occupied.
On November 30, an Israeli drone attack on a car in Majdal Zoun injured 3 including a child.
On December 2, an Israeli strike on a house in Haris killed 5 people and injured 2 others. Earlier in the same day, several Israeli strikes killed a Lebanese Army officer and injured another. Bint Jbeil News later published an image of 6 people it said were killed in the strike, which included a woman and a child.

Reactions

Lebanon

Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for unity in Lebanon after the "most cruel phase in Lebanese history", stressing that the Lebanese army should provide security in southern Lebanon and that Israel abides by the deal and withdraws from Lebanese territory. He said that he hoped for a "new page" after the ceasefire.

Israel

In a public announcement on Israeli television following deliberation of the ceasefire terms, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted his support for the deal on the basis that a ceasefire would allow the IDF to focus primarily on Gaza Strip operations against Hamas and towards the "Iranian threat". He stated that "we are changing the face of the region".

He further stated that the ceasefire was considered due to claimed Israeli success in the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon because Hezbollah was "no longer the same group that launched a war against us", and that the Israeli Defense Forces had "set them back decades". He stated that the Israeli army had achieved many of its goals in the invasion and airstrikes by killing most of Hezbollah's leadership and destroying large numbers of Lebanese infrastructure linked to them.

Former Israeli consul-general and ambassador Alon Pinkas deemed the deal "unenforceable" due to it assuming that the Lebanese army will supervise weapon production and distribution. He described this assumption as "impossible" due to Hezbollah's independence from the Lebanese army in weapon distribution and inability to cooperate.

Israeli Security Minister and far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir expressed dissatisfaction with the ceasefire deal due to it not providing Israel with a "security belt", not allowing Israelis to return to Northern Israel, and not providing the Lebanese army resistance against Hezbollah.

Middle East

• Iran: Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghael welcomed the ceasefire agreement hoping it would end Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
• Palestinian Authority: The Palestinian presidency expressed hope that the ceasefire will "contribute to stopping the violence and instability that the region is suffering from."
• Hamas: Hamas stated that it is "committed to cooperating with any effort to reach a ceasefire in Gaza," and that it "appreciates" Hezbollah's right to form a deal protecting Lebanese people.
• Several Palestinian citizens expressed significant concern over the potential ceasefire agreement allowing Israel to direct all its military forces towards bombardments and invasions in the Gaza Strip, exacerbating an already severe humanitarian crisis.

Al Jazeera political analyst Marwan Bishara called the deal a "very temporary, fragile truce" due to it allowing Israel to resume military operations at any perceived provocation by Hezbollah and Israel's continued commitment to breaking down Hezbollah.

International

• United States: Secretary of State Antony Blinken, praised the agreement and spoke with optimism that this ceasefire could also be a framework for a ceasefire in Gaza. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron released a joint statement praising the agreement, saying that it will "secure Israel from the threat of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations operating from Lebanon".
• United Kingdom: Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised a "long overdue" ceasefire that would "provide some measure of relief to the civilian populations" of Lebanon and Israel.
• Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholz offered his support for the ceasefire and stressed the importance that all sides stick "to what has been agreed".
• Pakistan: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the ceasefire and called for security for the Lebanese people. Pakistan also called for an end to the Israeli attacks in Gaza.
• Sri Lanka: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement stating "We remain hopeful that the ceasefire will pave the way for enduring peace and stability in Lebanon and the region".
• European Union: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called the ceasefire "very encouraging news," noting it offers Lebanon a chance to bolster its internal security and stability by limiting Hezbollah's influence.
• United Nations: A top official confirmed the ceasefire and warned that "considerable work lies ahead" to implement the ceasefire deal.
• Uruguay: The Foreign Ministry issued a statement in which it reported that the Uruguayan government welcomed the ceasefire as a necessary opportunity for peace and the recovery of regional stability. It emphasized Uruguay's commitment to international efforts towards a lasting peace, for which it insists on the urgency of also reaching a political agreement on other fronts that would allow the release of hostages, the ceasefire in Gaza and the entry of more humanitarian aid.

Analysts

Many Lebanese are eager for an end to the conflict, but concerns persist that Hezbollah may disregard the ceasefire and rearm in southern Lebanon. On the Israeli side, the prolonged displacement of civilians near the border and the strain on the military continue to drive the need for a solution.

Writing for the Institute for the Study of War, Brian Carter argued that the ceasefire agreement represented a significant military victory for Israel. In his analysis, Israel had dealt severe damage to Hezbollah and achieved its key objectives, while forcing Hezbollah to concede its own stated objective (to force an end to the war in Gaza). While arguing that the war and the resulting agreement had significantly shifted the strategic situation in Israel's favor, he also stated that Hezbollah would almost certainly attempt to rebuild its strength.

According to the New York Times Hezbollah abandoning its demand that they would only accept a ceasefire only if Israel stopped attacking Gaza and agreeing to give an oversight role to the United States were signs that they were desperate to stop the war.

See also

• May 17 Agreement
• 2023 Israel–Hamas ceasefire