DAILY MAIL | Published November 27, 2024
- Residents fear Hezbollah may launch ground assault
- Deal is ‘very bad, real bad’, says resident
- Israel maintains right to act if ceasefire broken
- Ceasefire seen as US diplomatic achievement
NAHARIYA, Israel, Nov 27 (Reuters) – For the first time in months on Wednesday, sirens warning of incoming attacks from Lebanon were not heard in northern Israel, but many residents were nonetheless outraged by the government’s ceasefire with the Hezbollah armed group.
The deal, which promises to end a cross-border conflict that has killed thousands since it was ignited by the Gaza war last year, is seen as a major achievement by U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration but has stirred anger and apprehension in Israel’s north.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday Israel maintained its right to act in case Iran-backed Hezbollah broke the terms of the deal.
“What do I say? That it’s very bad, real bad,” Nahariya resident Levana Karsenti told Reuters of the agreement.
“They (the government) did nothing and our soldiers were wasted away for nothing. Bibi (Netanyahu) should pack himself out of the government quickly, even though I supported him. He needs to go home urgently.”
Many residents of northern Israel fear Hezbollah may try to launch a ground assault, similar to the Hamas attack on Israel’s south on Oct. 7, 2023.
Hezbollah strikes have killed 45 civilians in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Some 60,000 people evacuated from homes in the north have still not been directed to return.
The bulk of the damage in Israel has been inflicted in areas adjacent to the Lebanese border, pummeled by Hezbollah rockets.
The deal should have included a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon, the mayor of the northern city of Kiryat Shmonah, just three km (1.8 miles) from the border, told Reuters.
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SOURCE: www.dailymail.co.uk
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BBC NEWS | Published November 27, 2024
Benjamin Netanyahu presented the ceasefire deal in the context of what he said were Israel’s “unprecedented achievements” over the past year of a seven-front war.
He said Israel had set Hezbollah back “tens of years” and that it was not the same group it had been before.
There was a lot of focus on Israel’s strength in doing what it believed needed to be done – in Gaza, in Lebanon and elsewhere – despite international opposition.
And there was a lot of justification for the ceasefire too – it would allow Israel to “concentrate on the Iranian threat”, Netanyahu said, emphasising that his country would retain full military freedom to counter any new Hezbollah threat.
Israel’s army said on Tuesday it had hit 180 targets in Lebanon in the past 24 hours. Here on the Israeli side of the border, there have been constant warnings of rocket barrages and drone attacks from Lebanon.
Neither side wants this ceasefire deal to be seen as surrender.
But surrender is exactly what Netanyahu is being accused of by his political rivals – and some of his political allies too.
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SOURCE: www.bbc.com
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