Deception by blows: things escalated in Lebanon amid truce talks
Hostilities in Lebanon have escalated amid intense truce talks. The Israelis are going a little deeper into the country, although they are then returning to their positions. This was reported to Izvestia by the United Nations mission. Earlier, the US President's special envoy to the Middle East Amos Hochstein announced progress in the ceasefire talks. The Hezbollah leader noted that the movement had passed on its comments to the American proposal. Negotiators are now awaiting Israel's response. The US has not informed the UN mission about the details of the agreement. At the same time, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Izvestia that the Russian Federation can positively influence the de-escalation of the situation in Lebanon.
What is happening in southern Lebanon now
The situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border has escalated in recent days against the backdrop of truce talks. This was reported to "Izvestia" by the UN mission in the country.
- There is an exchange of blows, ground clashes in the immediate vicinity of our positions in the western sector, close to Shama, - said the official representative of the UN interim forces in Lebanon Andrea Tenenti.
The UN Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has come under repeated fire from both the IDF and Hezbollah since the beginning of Israel's ground operation.
- On November 19, we had several incidents of rocket attacks on our positions. Most of them were unintentional, but since UN positions are close to the warring parties, unfortunately such incidents are unavoidable," Andrea Tenenti said.
The mission spokesperson also noted that Israeli troops are penetrating further and further into Lebanon.
- The Israelis go a little bit deeper into Lebanon, although they return afterwards. It is very difficult to track these movements because our monitoring capabilities are limited," Andrea Tenenti clarified.
Against the backdrop of Israel's operation, the first country to withdraw its troops from UNIFIL was Argentina. According to a spokesman for the peacekeeping mission, no one else has expressed a desire to withdraw peacekeepers from Lebanon.
- Argentina sent a letter to that effect without explanation. But they had only four officers involved here, so the operational activities of UNIFIL will not change, all other countries express their support for the mission," said the official representative of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
The UN Interim Force, the number of which is about 10,500 people, has been deployed in the border zone of the Lebanese-Israeli border since 1978. Initially, the peacekeepers' mandate was to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and restore the authority of the Lebanese government in the south of the country. The UN subsequently defined a 120-kilometer temporary zone of the Lebanese-Israeli border, naming it the "Blue Line" after the color of the peacekeepers' helmets.
Truce between Hezbollah and Israel
The escalating military situation in Lebanon has been accompanied by intense diplomatic efforts at the regional and international level. There are many indications that the parties to the conflict are close to breaking the current negotiating deadlock. On November 19, the special envoy of the US President Amos Hochstein arrived in Lebanon again and, following a meeting with Hezbollah negotiator and Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri, announced progress in achieving a ceasefire.
The Shiite movement's secretary general, Naim Qassem, said on Nov. 20 that the movement had received the negotiating document, studied it well and made comments on it, which were presented to Hochstein.
That same day in the evening, an American envoy flew to Israel to provide Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with adjustments from the Shiite movement.
At the same time, Izvestia found out that the US did not inform the UN mission about the details of the agreement.
- We are in contact with ambassadors from the US and other countries, but we are not involved in the negotiation process and are not informed about the negotiations, we have no information about the details of this agreement. However, we are ready to support it," Andrea Tenenti said, noting that UNSC Resolution 1701 remains the main framework of the negotiations.
Earlier, the media reported that Russia is ready to facilitate a settlement on the Lebanese-Israeli border. At the same time, Moscow's role would allegedly be to prevent Iranian arms supplies to Hezbollah through Syrian territory.
- Any efforts of countries that have influence on what is happening in the region, including the Russian Federation, to implement this task (ensuring security to the northern regions of Israel - Izvestia) may have a positive impact on the creation of ceasefire conditions in Lebanon," Dmitry Gendelman, advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister, told Izvestia.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is close to the Shiite movement, reported, citing sources, that Hochstein spent "a long night of intense negotiations" at the U.S. Embassy with Lebanese officials, where he tried to formulate Beirut's position, which should be acceptable to Israel. The overnight discussions were accompanied by phone consultations with Israeli officials and members of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team.
The discussions at the US embassy covered several issues, including those related to borders, timelines for implementing the agreement and provisions for ending the war, Al-Akhbar wrote. Lebanon demanded that Israel, immediately after the announcement of the ceasefire, set a precise timeline for the complete and rapid withdrawal of all its forces and that this be accompanied by the release of prisoners and the transfer of bodies. According to Israeli media, if a compromise is reached on the disputed points, a ceasefire could be reached within a week.
- Israel wants, as a result of the agreement, to have the option of freedom of movement for its army, allowing it to conduct air raids into Lebanon if necessary. Of course, this condition does not suit Lebanon. And Israel, in its turn, does not intend to deviate from its intentions, as it speaks from a position of strength," retired Lebanese Brigadier General George Nader told Izvestia.
The situation in the Lebanese-Israeli border zone escalated on October 8, 2023. "Hezbollah, which supports the Palestinian movement Hamas, said that its attacks will continue until Israel stops its aggression against the Gaza Strip. On October 1 this year, the Israeli army launched a ground operation in Lebanon, preceded by the bombing of communications equipment of Shiite supporters on September 17 and 18. In addition, the IDF killed most of Hezbollah's top military leadership, including its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Against this backdrop, the Israeli leadership continues to face pressure on the world stage. On November 21, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant for "crimes against humanity and war crimes." The court considered: there are reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Galant deliberately deprived civilians in the Gaza Strip of access to basic necessities, resulting in the death of residents, including children, due to malnutrition and dehydration. It is emphasized that there was no military necessity in restricting humanitarian supplies. The court also noted that Netanyahu and Galant are criminally liable for using starvation as a method of warfare, persecution and other inhumane acts. Netanyahu's office accused the International Criminal Court of isolating Israel and "facilitating terrorist attacks" against the country.
