The new leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, indicated that a ceasefire may be in the offing under certain conditions as Israeli forces increased their bombardments of the strongholds of the group. This development came amidst an Israeli security cabinet meeting on possible truce terms and simultaneous airstrikes in Baalbek. In this eastern Lebanese town, another senior Hezbollah commander was said to have died.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati remained cautious but optimistic as he hinted that a ceasefire might be achieved “in the coming hours or days.” In an interview with Al-Jadeed, Mikati says US Envoy Amos Hochstein has proposed a ceasefire that may be achieved before November 5th, which is parallel to the US elections.
Qassem appointed the new secretary general after his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in a recent Israeli airstrike, said Hezbollah could hold off the Israeli attacks for several months. But he did not close all the doors to a negotiated truce: “If the Israelis decide that they want to stop the aggression, we say we accept, but on conditions we find appropriate.”.
On Tuesday, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said that consultations are held in the security cabinet about the ceasefire terms. According to media reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened ministers to agree on demands likely to include Hezbollah pulling back north of the Litani River and the deployment of the Lebanese army along the border.
Presumably, an international intervention mechanism will be established to ensure that this cease-fire is maintained; Israel is pushing for freedom of action at all events when it faces threats.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials, including President Biden’s Middle East adviser Brett McGurk, are in Israel on a quest for progress in negotiations for the resolution of both the Gaza and Lebanon conflicts.
The ground attacks in Baalbek began after Israel, warning of intent to “act forcefully against Hezbollah interests,” shook the region. There were reports of at least 19 deaths from Israeli strikes, according to the Lebanese health ministry, as well as other casualties in the Bekaa Valley.
This came in response to Hezbollah sending off rockets and drones toward military positions in northern Israel, near the coastal cities of Haifa and Acre, and also shooting at a military training camp southeast of Tel Aviv.
Fighting in Lebanon intensified last month, nearly a year since Hezbollah joined the conflict with low-intensity cross-border fire in support of Hamas after its attack on Oct. 7, 2023. At least 1,754 people have been killed in Lebanon since Sept. 23, but the true toll is likely much higher. Israel’s military has reported 37 soldiers killed since operations started on Sept. 30.
In Gaza, deadly strikes continued as international mediators worked for a temporary cease-fire that would allow for exchanges of hostages and avert a humanitarian disaster. The recent airstrikes by Israel have come under severe criticism after a strike on a residential block in Gaza killed close to 100 people.
Ongoing negotiations brokered by U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian officials would result in a short-term cease-fire in which Israel releases several hostages in return for Palestinians in Israeli prisons, along with increased aid to Gaza. One Hamas official said his organization was ready to discuss ceasefire ideas that include an Israeli pullback but added no comprehensive proposals had been officially received as yet.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called on the troops to continue pressing and creating the appropriate environment in which the hostages may return. Meanwhile, the international community continues to consider Israel’s military actions in Gaza, where more than 43,000 Palestinian causalities have been counted, the majority of them civilians, according to health ministry tallies.
