Lebanon: an encouraging if fragile ceasefire

A ceasefire, negotiated under the supervision of the United States and France, came into force on Wednesday 27 November between Israel and Lebanon, after two months of open warfare and more than a year of border fighting. In 13 months, more than 3,800 people have been killed in Lebanon and hundreds of thousands displaced. On the Israeli side, 120 people have been killed and several thousand displaced. While Hezbollah considers this ceasefire a victory, it says it is ready to react in the event of Israeli aggression. The same goes for Israel, which threatens to strike if Hezbollah violates the truce agreement. For the moment, there is great relief: many exiled Lebanese have been returning to their abandoned homes since Wednesday.

Under the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army has 60 days to withdraw from the area and make way for the Lebanese army and UN forces. To re-establish its sovereignty, the Lebanese Parliament will have to appoint a new President of the Republic on 9 January. However, the truce remains very fragile: the Israeli Prime Minister has stated that he wants to focus on Gaza and Iran… Pending the inauguration of his friend Donald Trump in January.

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