Hezbollah and Israel accuse each other of violating the ceasefire in place for six days in Lebanon

INTERNATIONAL – Who is to blame? Already fragile, the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah seems more fragile than ever this Monday, December 2, due to mutual accusations of violation of the truce agreement by both parties.

It all started this Monday, when Israel promised to respond to Hezbollag fire on Israeli territory. The first claimed by the Lebanese Islamist movement against the Jewish state since the establishment of the ceasefire agreement, which entered into force on November 27. This is a “first defensive response” to « violations » of the ceasefire by Israel, it is indicated in a press release from Hezbollah in Lebanon.

First strikes claimed by Hezbollah

Indeed, in recent days, Israel has been accused of having violated this same truce on numerous occasions. “ At least 54 » times, according to the President of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, ally of Hezbollah and negotiator of this truce on its behalf.

Without delay, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Hezbollah’s shooting as « violation grave » and announced that he wanted “react with force”. It is about “two projectiles” drawn “towards the Har Dov area”, Israeli name for Chebaa Farms, which did not, however, cause any injuries. This disputed area is located on the border between Lebanon and the Syrian Golan Heights.

Enough to provoke strong international reactions in an attempt to maintain this fragile peace. Thus, the United States assured that at this stage the truce in Lebanon still held. Washington affirming in passing that it was examining allegations of violations of which Israel and Hezbollah accuse each other.

“When we receive information of potential violations, we have a mechanism in place with the French government to examine them, determine if they are real violations and approach the parties to ensure that they are not repeated”explained the spokesperson for the US State Department. On the Paris side, it was the head of French diplomacy Jean-Noël Barrot who insisted to his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, on “the need for all parties to respect the ceasefire”.

Israel denies any violation of the agreement

After the accusations against Hezbollah, Israel was quick to react by announcing that it had carried out strikes on “terrorist targets” in Lebanon. Additionally, Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes Monday evening on areas of southern Lebanon far from the border.

“Enemy planes carried out strikes (on) the surroundings of the town of Jbaa”about twenty kilometers from the border, as well as in the Deir al-Zahrani region, said the National News Agency (ANI). She also later reported “a series of airstrikes” near two villages located near Jbaa.

Before the strikes claimed by Hezbollah on Monday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health had already reported one death from an Israeli drone strike in the village of Marjeyoun, close to the Israeli border, in southern Lebanon. This provoked an initial outraged reaction from Israel, through its Minister of Foreign Affairs, rejecting any accusation of violation of the ceasefire. Gideon Saar said, “ on the contrary “, that Israel ” makes it respected » in response “violations by Hezbollah that call for immediate action.”

As a reminder, Israel had said it reserved “total freedom of military action” in Lebanon, if Hezbollah “raped” the ceasefire and “tried to rearm”. While the agreement sponsored by the United States and France provides for the withdrawal within 60 days of the Israeli army from Lebanon. In return, Hezbollah must retreat north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle its military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

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