As Hezbollah ceasefire emerges, so does Israeli public opposition

‘The agreement with Lebanon is a big mistake. A historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah. I understand all the constraints and reasons, and it is still a grave mistake,’ National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

A ceasefire agreement between Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah appears imminent, with negotiations reportedly nearing resolution and Israeli officials already gearing up for a political battle to sell it to the public on Monday.

The emerging agreement is believed to include a ceasefire, Hezbollah’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon followed by the departure of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory.

It is believed that the US will lead an international team to monitor the ceasefire while the Israeli military maintains the right to respond with force if Hezbollah violates the agreement.

According to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah is forbidden from operating in southern Lebanon south of the Litani River.

“The test of any arrangement will be one – not in words or formulations, but in enforcement,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar tweeted.

“Enforcement in two main points: 1. Preventing Hezbollah from descending south from the Litani. 2. Preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding its power and rearming in all of Lebanon.”

He added, “One thing must be clear, and in my opinion, it is clear and agreed upon by all parts of the government and all members of the government: we will not allow a return to October 6. Any violation will be addressed immediately. We will no longer agree under any circumstances to sell the future in exchange for temporary peace in the present.”

Cracks in the governing coalition emerged as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir came out against a ceasefire.

“The agreement with Lebanon is a big mistake. A historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah. I understand all the constraints and reasons, and it is still a grave mistake,” Ben-Gvir said.

In the opposition, MK Benny Gantz insisted that responsibility for northern Israel’s security should not be placed in the hands of international monitors.

“We must not return to the reality of October 6. The [Israel Defense Forces] must maintain full freedom of action in the face of threats in Lebanon and continue offensive activity against Hezbollah infrastructure until a desired settlement is achieved,” said Gantz, a former military chief of staff.

Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avichai Stern denounced an emerging ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, warning it could lead to “another October 7th” in Israel’s northern region.

“I don’t understand how we went from total victory to total surrender. Why aren’t we finishing what we started?!” Stern said in a statement.

“We managed to destabilize Hezbollah, and instead of continuing to crush the organization and demolish it to dust, we’re giving it oxygen and performing resuscitation?”

He also warned that the agreement would mean the city’s 22,000 residents would get back “a destroyed city without security and without a future.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum warned that an agreement that didn’t take the hostages into account would be a success for Hezbollah.

“An agreement without the repatriation of abductees means an explicit concession by the Israeli government on political and security levers essential for their return,” the Forum said.

“Hezbollah and Hamas are an integral part of the Iranian Axis of Evil. The October attack was launched by Hamas acting on the behalf of Iran and Hezbollah joined the war and linked its fate with Hamas while itself making a direct and explicit connection to the war in Gaza and the October massacre.”

After the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, Hezbollah began launching rockets and launching drones at northern Israel communities daily. More than 68,000 residents of northern Israel are displaced from their homes. Hezbollah leaders have repeatedly said they would continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes.

At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 97 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead.

Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.

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