Report: Lebanon accepts US ceasefire deal disarming Hezbollah

Hezbollah reportedly sending its response to an American ceasefire proposal which would require the terror group be demilitarized and Israel given the right to retaliate in Lebanon for any ceasefire violations.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News 

The government of Lebanon has accepted the United States proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist group, according to a report Sunday, while Hezbollah has sent its official response to the peace plan.

Late Sunday night, Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) reported that Beirut has accepted, with some caveats, the framework for a truce submitted by the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, and that the Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah has already penned a response, which is being forwarded to the United States.

The report stated that while Lebanon has accepted the general outline of the ceasefire proposal, Beirut has asked for clarifications regarding some provisions and is pushing for alterations to others.

In particular, Lebanon is seeking greater steps to limit Israel’s ability to operate in Lebanese territory should the ceasefire be violated.

According to the Saudi-based Asharq al-Awsat daily, Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri – a member of the Amal Shi’ite nationalist movement – is serving as interlocuter between Biden administration envoy Amos Hochstein and Hezbollah.

Hochstein is set to visit Beirut on Tuesday in a bid to push forward with a ceasefire deal.

According to a report Monday morning by Lebanon’s Nidaa al-Watan outlet, the American ceasefire proposal centers around three main points.

First, the Hezbollah terror group would be required to demilitarize – not only south of the Litani River, near the Israeli frontier, but also north of it. This provision, the report said, is considered non-negotiable by the U.S., due in part to Israeli insistence on the disarming of the Iran-backed proxy group.

In addition, the draft submitted to Lebanon calls for the establishment of a supervisory committee to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire, to ensure adherence to the deal and monitory violations, and to ensure the fulfillment of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

The August 11th, 2006 resolution calls for the disarming of Hezbollah and removal of Hezbollah forces from south of the Litani River, and the cessation of fighting along the Israeli-Lebanese frontier.

The proposed committee would be led by an American military officer, who would be joined by a French counterpart.

Furthermore, the American proposal would back Israel’s demand for a right to respond militarily in Lebanon should the ceasefire be violated, but only after the aforementioned committee is given an opportunity to reestablish calm.