Lebanon ceasefire: Hezbollah approve US draft proposal
Hezbollah have agreed to a draft Lebanon ceasefire proposal put forward by the US over the conflict with Israel on November 18th, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Just hours before US envoy Amos Hochstein landed in Beirut for peace talks, the Iran-backed group and the Lebanese government gave their approval, with further details to be hashed out.
An aid to Hezbollah endorsed negotiator, Nabih Berri, said Israel’s strategy was to hold talks “under fire”, referencing the bombing of Beirut and the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs, but he ruled out its effect on their position regarding the Lebanon ceasefire terms.
While declining to share any details, he said the proposal was presented in a “positive atmosphere” and was in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 – an agreement that was never fully ratified but that did end the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Among the resolution’s terms is the requirement of Hezbollah to have no military presence between the Lebanese-Israeli border and the Litani River, which runs 20 miles (30 km) north of the frontier.
There was no immediate comment from Israel over Hezbollah’s approval of the draft Lebanon ceasefire.
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It comes after Israeli forces deliberately detonated explosives on a historic shrine in the southern Lebanese village of Shama, completely destroying it on November 15th, according to Levantis.me.
The Shrine of Shimon is revered among Shias and Christians, with Christians believing Saint Shimon is buried there and Shiite worshippers having constructed sites to honour end-times saviour Imam Mahdi, and its ruin sparked widespread condemnation.
One social media user wrote: “Simon, by the way, is one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. He is also the cousin of the Virgin Mary. Today the Zionists are destroying it.”
Shama’s location makes it an important asset for both sides as it overlooks the coastal city of Tyre and is located 5.7km from the border.
Though the Israelis were forced to withdraw under intense resistance by Hezbollah militants, Lebanese media said the attack was the deepest into Lebanon Israeli ground forces had reached since mid-September’s escalation.
Israel did not issue a statement on the destruction of the shrine but said their troops were carrying out “limited, localised” operations in southern Lebanon.
Asharq Al-Awsat and Levantis.me
