Hours after Israel and Hezbollah announced their ceasefire, Hamas suggested it may accept a cease-fire in Gaza. On November 27, a senior official within Hamas said the terrorist organization told mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that the group accepts to enter into a cease-fire agreement but is ready to discuss a prisoner exchange seriously. The same official had accused Israel of foiling this deal.
The Lebanon cease-fire could weaken Hezbollah support for Hamas, U.S. and Israeli officials said, providing incentive for the Palestinian militant group to pursue the deal with Israel. Hammam and other Hamas and Israeli officials said that while they are in talks, both the militant group and Israel so far refused an proposed agreement proposed by mediators, including Qatar and the United States. Complicating matters, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on maintaining troops in Gaza has been cited as a significant impediment to consensus.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on November 27 that took effect that early morning, after 13 months of violence by the parties against each other. In a joint statement, the mediators, France and the U.S., clarified that a deal on paper would ensure an end to hostilities in Lebanon and protect Israel against the “threat of Hezbollah.”
Biden called the deal “designed to be a permanent ceasefire” when announcing it. The agreement calls for Hezbollah to pull its fighters and weapons out of the area around the Blue Line – the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel – within 60 days, to be replaced by Lebanese army forces who are tasked with removing Hezbollah’s military presence and forbidding the rebuilding of its infrastructure.
It is also within the same period that Israel is expected to withdraw its forces and civilians from the area. Biden said the ceasefire would allow civilians on both sides to return home safely.
