Waffenruhe in Lebanon: Hope for peace or new conflicts?

Waffenruhe in Lebanon: Hope for peace or new conflicts?

In the south of Lebanon, the situation continues to come to a head: the Israeli army conducts continuing attacks on the Hisbollah goals, despite a ceasefire that came into force on Wednesday. According to reports from the State-Rumed Lebanese news agency, there were air strikes on the Grenzdorf Jarun and other places such as Khiam and Aitarun on Sunday morning. The Israeli armed forces said that they would answer "immediately with an energetic reaction" for violations of the ceasefire, such as Tageschau.de These military activities are considered necessary by the Israeli government in order to act against impending threats.

ceasefire and their challenges

The Waffenruhe between Israel and the Hisbollah supported by Iran on Wednesday should initially apply for 60 days. During this time it is planned that the Hisbollah clears its military positions south to the Litani river and the Israeli army withdraws to its side of the border. A total of around 5,000 Lebanese soldiers and the blue helmets of the Unifil are to patrol in the border area in order to ensure the implementation of the agreement. But there are great doubts as to whether the fragile Lebanese government is able to actually enforce these agreements. vienna.at emphasizes that the controls and surveillance by unifil have so far not been successful in view of the situation in view of the remaining military tensions.

The commitment of the international community, represented by the USA and France, is considered crucial. US President Joe Biden described the agreement as "good news" and emphasized the right of Israel on self-defense in the event of violations. At the same time, the situation was described as an opportunity for Lebanon, which could possibly be stabilized in the long term by the ceasefire. However, while the hope of calm is growing, the risk of a renewed outbreak of violence in the region remains, especially if the Hisbollah does not comply with the agreement and does not reduce its military capacities.