60-Day Ceasefire Starts in Israeli-Hezbollah Conflict

TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 2 Dec 2024

René Wadlow – TRANSCEND Media Service

   Urgent Measures Needed to Make It Permanent

28 Nov 2024 – The ceasefire between Israeli troops and the Hezbollah militia is good news in an area deep in armed conflicts. After a year-long period of hostilities, we must strive so that the ceasefire holds, becomes permanent, and that the U.N. forces are able to carry out their mandate.

The ceasefire between Israeli forces and those of Hezbollah started at 4 AM on 27 November 2024, a conflict that has killed some 4000 people, displaced more than one million in Lebanon and some 60,000 in Israel.  As the ceasefire started, some Lebanese were already starting to return to their homes at day light although many houses in villages near the frontier have been destroyed.

The “Cessation of Hostilities” text which sets out the terms of the ceasefire calls for the ability of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line (the de facto border between Lebanon and Israel) to return safely to their lands and homes.

The ceasefire was negotiated by diplomats from the USA and France.  Amos Hochstein was the lead U.S. negotiator.  The U.S. and France will continue to have diplomats to follow the ceasefire process and to deal with any violations or unsolved tensions. There have already been accusations of violations of the ceasefire by both sides.  The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) some 10,000 soldiers, will again be able to control the Blue Line frontier. There is currently discussion of adding members to the U.N. force.

The ceasefire was able to be developed as there was a convergence of interests among leaders in Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah and Iran which is a strong supporter of Hezbollah.  Many in Israel including  in the active military are exhausted by the armed conflicts and must continue operations in the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank. Lebanon faces economic and political difficulties provoking a growth of the already strong sectarian tensions.  Hezbollah’s military and leadership has been seriously weakened by Israeli actions.  However, the movement continues, and new leaders are coming to the fore such as Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah deputy in the Lebanese Parliament. With a new Iranian President and a new U.S. administration, Iran’s leaders may want to see what policies President Trump will develop toward Iran.

Turning the 60-day ceasefire into a permanent peace accord will not be an easy task.  There are territorial disputes along the Blue Line which have not been solved in the past, consequence of the  2006 war.  Today,  all the parties lack peace-oriented leaders.  As noted, the ceasefire is in the current interest of all the leaders, but such situations can change due to internal political factors.

Thus, there is an opportunity for non-governmental organizations to continue promotion of a permanent ceasefire and to advance stability for the region. It is an opportunity for which we must organize with others.

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René Wadlow is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment. He is President of the Association of World Citizens, an international peace organization with consultative status with ECOSOC, the United Nations organ facilitating international cooperation and problem-solving in economic and social issues, and editor of Transnational Perspectives.

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 2 Dec 2024.

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