Wednesday Briefing: Israel Approves Hezbollah Cease-Fire Deal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet yesterday approved a cease-fire deal that would suspend fighting between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah after more than a year of conflict.

President Biden immediately hailed the agreement, which was mediated by the U.S. and France, and said it was “designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” He added that the cease-fire is scheduled to take effect today.

Netanyahu had earlier put his weight behind the deal as Israeli forces launched a barrage of strikes in Lebanon, hitting the heart of Beirut and neighborhoods to its south. Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the approval.

Lebanon’s government, which does not control Hezbollah, but whose approval is essential for the deal to move forward, is set to discuss the cease-fire agreement today. Follow our live updates here.

For more, we spoke to Patrick Kingsley, our Jerusalem bureau chief.

What do both sides want out of this cease-fire?

Patrick: Israel mainly wants Hezbollah to withdraw from the borderlands of southern Lebanon, thereby removing a threat to Israeli communities on the other side of the border. Israel also wants the right to redeploy inside Lebanon if Hezbollah doesn’t actually withdraw.