Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect at 4 am, local time, on November 27. Israel carried out intensive airstrikes in Beirut prior to the deadline killing 18 people, and by the time the deal went into effect the smell of explosives was hanging heavy the air.
By noon, the road leading south from Beirut were full of people anxious to return to their homes in the south, despite warnings from both Israeli and Lebanese authorities.
Cars overflowing with people, and mattresses stacked high on the roofs, were in a traffic jam going south. The Sunni Muslim majority political party, The Future Movement, had representatives in blue vests handing out sweets to cars slowly driving south, in a sign of solidarity with the mainly Shiite Muslim people of the south.
Many of the residents will find they have no home to return to, after 14 months of Israel airstrikes on the south, and an Israeli limited ground incursion since late September that saw carpet-bombing of the south.
Lebanon has lost people and buildings, and Hezbollah has lost many top-level leaders and commanders, along with perhaps half of its missile supplies. But, Israel has lost as well, and that is why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed his government to accept the US-brokered ceasefire deal.
Over 1,000 Israeli soldiers were injured in Lebanon, and over 120 were killed. Over 60 Merkava tanks were destroyed, and despite sending in five Army divisions, Israel could not take command of Lebanese soil in the south. They resorted to short-period incursions and withdrawals, and were not able to set up secure headquarters because of the constant attacks by Hezbollah fighters, resisting the invaders.
In the days leading up to the ceasefire, Israeli media was showing Israeli soldiers walking through paths and the countryside of Kiam. However, by late afternoon the day the ceasefire began, returning residents had arrived in Kiam to find many buildings bombed by airstrikes, but no evidence the Israelis had been occupying, other than passing through.
The deal is set for 60 days of calm, in which the Israelis will withdraw from Lebanon completely, Hezbollah will move north of the Litani River, and the Lebanese Army will be the military presence in the south with 10,000 troops.
This is the same deal that was proposed at the end of the summer 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, and the UN resolution 1701 was formed. In today's ceasefire, the same points of the 1701 are to be met, and no new demands were added. Hezbollah gets to keep their weapons.
In Israel, the opposition to Netanyahu has blasted the ceasefire as impotent, because Hezbollah is not disarmed. The displaced residents of the north of Israel may not quickly return home. Some are wary of the ceasefire while Hezbollah still remains an armed resistance organization.
"Withdrawing forces now will create a dynamic that will make it difficult for us, and make it easier for Hezbollah to regroup," said Benny Gantz, the National Unity leader. "We must not do only half the job."
"Hezbollah still has its stockpile of tens of thousands of rockets," added Naftali Bennett, the former prime minister. "An impressive military achievement " is being translated into a total security-diplomatic failure."
According to Israeli TV channel 13, 61% of those polled do not think Israel won the war in Lebanon. Also, 66% of those polled support an end to the war in Gaza.
According to Sky News Arabic, Israel has lost 5 billion in the tourism sector, 48,000 companies have gone bankrupt, and military losses of $130, 000 per day because of the war in Gaza.
Israeli infrastructure has suffered from 9,000 buildings damaged or destroyed, 7,000 vehicles lost, 55,000 acres of land burned, and over 75,000 Israelis were displaced from homes in the north.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
