Israel-Hezbollah war: truce in Gaza, new elections… what should we expect after the ceasefire?

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah began this Wednesday, November 27 in Lebanon. The information was announced the day before by American President Joe Biden, after more than a year of cross-border hostilities and two months of open war between the Israeli army and the powerful Lebanese formation armed and supported by Tehran.

What this ceasefire agreement provides for

The truce, valid since 4 a.m., is intended to interrupt the conflict which has forced tens of thousands of people in Israel and hundreds of thousands more in Lebanon to flee their homes. Shortly after the ceasefire took effect, residents of southern Lebanon and the Bekaa plain began returning to their villages, forming vehicle convoys. Under the agreement, the Lebanese army must take control of the border area on the Lebanese side, and “what remains of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed […] to once again threaten the security of Israel,” announced the President of the United States.

A risk of a broken truce

According to Joe Biden, the truce agreement was designed to result in a permanent cessation of hostilities between the two parties. The United States and France must ensure that the ceasefire agreement is “implemented in its entirety.” Before the final Israeli green light, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that the duration of the ceasefire would depend “on what happens in Lebanon.” “The ceasefire will also allow Israel to “focus on the Iranian threat,” he added. “We maintain complete freedom of military action. “If Hezbollah violates the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack.” At the same time, the Israeli army continues its strikes on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Emmanuel Macron calls for elections in Lebanon

Emmanuel Macron calls for “the election without delay” of a Lebanese president in order to “allow the restoration of Lebanon’s sovereignty”. Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the agreement constituted a “fundamental step” towards regional stability. For his part, American President Joe Biden welcomed the ceasefire agreement on Tuesday, “a new beginning” for Lebanon and “good news” for which the United States and France had been working for weeks. Tehran on Wednesday welcomed the “stopping of Israeli aggression” in Lebanon, where Iran supports Hezbollah financially and militarily.

Hamas also “ready” for a truce in Gaza

A senior Hamas official welcomed the ceasefire on Wednesday. He affirmed that the Palestinian Islamist movement was also “ready” for a truce with the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip. “The announcement of the ceasefire in Lebanon is a victory and a major success for the resistance,” declared this member of the Hamas political bureau, after the truce came into force before dawn. “We have informed the mediators in Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious agreement to exchange prisoners,” he added, however accusing Israel of hinder any agreement.