Israel USA presents plan for ceasefire in Lebanon
In view of the ongoing violence in Lebanon, the USA has submitted a proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The plan has met with mixed reactions and requires further discussion.
In view of the high number of victims in Lebanon, the United States has submitted a proposal for a ceasefire between the Israeli armed forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. The Arabic news channel Al-Jazeera reported that the draft was sent to the Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri. The document, which was handed over by the US ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa Johnson, contains several proposals that still need to be discussed further.
According to the "Jerusalem Post", the Israeli side has set conditions that would allow the military to continue to take action against Hezbollah in Lebanon in order to prevent its rearmament. This demand is rejected in Beirut. A Lebanese official explained: "It is unthinkable that Israel should be allowed to strike at any time."
A political maneuver for Trump
At the same time, Israel is working on its own proposal for a ceasefire with Hezbollah, as reported by the Washington Post. Such a diplomatic success could serve as a quick foreign policy triumph for US President-elect Donald Trump, according to several Israeli officials. One Israeli official said: "There is an agreement that Israel will give Trump a gift... that there will be an agreement on Lebanon in January." This statement indicates that the Israeli government's priorities have changed rapidly since the US election. The Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate before briefing the current US administration on the status of the talks.
Russia's role and the military situation
The Israeli proposal envisages Hezbollah withdrawing behind the Litani River, around 30 kilometers from the Israeli border. In addition, Russia, which maintains close relations with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and has troops stationed in Syria, should ensure that Hezbollah is not rearmed from Syria. Russian negotiators were recently in Israel to discuss the details.
Hezbollah, which is allied with Iran, has been firing rockets at Israel since the beginning of the Gaza conflict. Israel responded with intensive air strikes and a ground offensive. The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by a massacre by Hamas and other groups in Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. On the Palestinian side, tens of thousands, mainly civilians, lost their lives. Hezbollah justifies its attacks on Israel with its support for Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Humanitarian consequences and the call for peace
According to the authorities, 220 minors have been killed in Lebanon since the beginning of the clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military. In addition, almost 1,300 children and young people have been injured, according to the Ministry of Health. The total number of victims amounts to 3,386 dead and 14,417 injured. The authority does not differentiate between Hezbollah fighters and civilians. In Israel, 76 people have died since the start of the war, including 45 civilians and 31 soldiers, and over 640 have been injured.
On both sides of the border, tens of thousands of people have fled the fighting. US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel emphasized: "We are pushing so hard for a diplomatic solution because we want to create conditions in which civilians on both sides can return to their homes."
SDA
