Orchestra conductor mourns childhood home’s destruction in Israel’s southern Lebanon offensive
Associated Press
Netanyahu Approves Lebanon Cease-fire 'in Principle'
Netanyahu Approves Lebanon Cease-fire 'in Principle'
Above: Heavy smoke billows after an Israeli air strike that targeted an area in Beirut's southern suburb on November 25, 2024. Image copyright: Marwan Naamani/Contributor/Picture Alliance via Getty Images
The Facts
Nonetheless, Israel and Hezbollah have both increased their attacks as the situation progresses. Israeli strikes have pummeled Beirut and its southern suburbs in recent days, with Hezbollah firing major salvos of rockets into northern Israel.
Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed over 3.7K people since the war began last year, with most of those deaths occurring in the last two months. Around 90 Israeli soldiers have been reportedly killed in South Lebanon since Israel began its ground invasion of the country, with 50 civilians killed in Hezbollah attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to a cease-fire in Lebanon "in principle," with his cabinet set to vote on the proposal on Tuesday.
The Spin
It's imperative that a cease-fire in Lebanon is agreed upon and properly enforced. Both sides have been willing to compromise, and US mediation has seemingly bore fruit. The US will continue to play a leading role in de-escalating this terrible regional conflict and ensuring that the Lebanese border remains quiet.
Though Israel rightfully still has reservations regarding a cease-fire in Lebanon, the time is ripe for a deal. Israel has decimated Hezbollah's leadership, seriously degraded its rocket arsenal, and destroyed its terrorist infrastructure along the border, demonstrating a clear Israeli victory over the group. Nothing is yet set in stone, but Israel's campaign in Lebanon has been quite successful.
The only reason progress has been made on a cease-fire in Lebanon is because Netanyahu wants to "gift" a truce to Trump when he enters office in January. Either way, Israel's genocide in Gaza has continued unabated and must not be forgotten.
Israel is looking for a cease-fire in Lebanon because it failed miserably to reoccupy South Lebanon. Though a deal has not yet been agreed upon, Hezbollah has remained steadfast in its defense of Lebanese sovereignty and the Lebanese people, successfully preventing Israel from achieving its goals.