(Jerusalem Post) Yonah Jeremy Bob - A ceasefire with Hizbullah will most likely include a phased 60-day withdrawal by the IDF from southern Lebanon, with no leftover security perimeter, a senior defense source said on Thursday. Splitting the process into stages would allow Israel to evaluate Hizbullah's compliance. Additional likely ceasefire terms included a U.S. side letter of guarantees to Israel, American supervision of UNIFIL, and empowering the Lebanese army to truly gain and maintain control of southern Lebanon from Hizbullah. These terms would be in addition to Hizbullah's acceptance of a withdrawal of its own forces to points north of the Litani River, and the U.S. and others committing to help guarantee that Hizbullah will be unable to resupply itself with rockets and other weapons from land, air, or sea. The American letter - which will likely not be made public - will delineate between different scenarios: where Israel can act against Hizbullah violations without checking in with any third party, and in what situations would it need to first complain to an international body before taking action. The most important item is Israel's ability to act to enforce the agreement.
2024-11-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive