November 26, 2024 18:35 GMT
SECURITY: Ceasefire Duration Contingent On Hezbollah Compliance, Netanyahu
SECURITY
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delivered a press conference announcing that he has approved a ceasefire deal to end fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Netanyahu stresses that the ceasefire is contingent on complete compliance from Hezbollah and Israel reserves the right to resume the war under the terms of the ceasefire deal in the event of an infraction. The deal is now expected to be rubber-stamped by the full Israeli cabinet.
- Netanyahu: "Still we have a lot of challenges ahead. In Syria, we are systemically thwarting Iran/Hezbollah/Syrian attempts to pass armaments into Lebanon. Assad must understand he is playing with fire."
- Netanyahu says: "We have pushed Hezbollah decades back," noting that the IDF has killed much of the militia's leadership, personnel, arms, and infrastructure.
- Netanyahu: "Tonight, I will bring before the cabinet a ceasefire in Lebanon. The duration of the ceasefire depends on what happens in Lebanon. We have an understanding with the US, we are maintaining our full liberty to take military operations if Hezbollah tries to attack us, if it arms itself, if it rebuilds infrastructure next to the border we will attack them. If they launch missiles, if they dig tunnels, we will attack."
- Netanyahu: "I hear people saying if we start a ceasefire we will not be about to resume the war. Let me remind you this is exactly what people said to me when we entered into a Gaza ceasefire [in late 2023] to release the hostages..."
- Netanyahu says that Israel will attack Hezbollah "not only if they fire at [Israel]" but if they try to rearm themselves: "For any such breach we will react very forcefully."
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