The Israeli security cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that he is prepared to implement the agreement but issued a stark warning to Hezbollah, emphasizing that any breach of the deal would be met with decisive action.
“We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. Together, we will continue until victory,” Netanyahu declared in a televised address. He also noted that the ceasefire accord would be presented to the full cabinet later on Tuesday.
“In full coordination with the United States, we retain complete military freedom of action. Should Hezbollah violate the agreement or attempt to rearm, we will strike decisively,” he asserted.
Netanyahu outlined three key reasons for pursuing the ceasefire: focusing on Iran, replenishing Israel’s depleted arms supplies, and allowing the military to rest. He also stressed the importance of isolating Hamas, the militant group whose attack from Gaza last year ignited the ongoing conflict.
The Prime Minister underscored that Hezbollah, an Iran-backed ally of Hamas, has been significantly weakened since the conflict began. “We have set it back decades, eliminated its top leaders, destroyed most of its rockets and missiles, neutralized thousands of fighters, and obliterated years of terror infrastructure near our border,” he stated. “We targeted strategic objectives across Lebanon, shaking Beirut to its core.”
Meanwhile, Israeli forces launched fresh airstrikes on the suburbs of Beirut, heightening tensions. U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to address the situation at 2:30 p.m. ET (1930 GMT), and Lebanese sources have indicated that Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to announce the ceasefire deal officially.
