Virtually from the moment the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire deal was signed in November, there have been reports that the US assured Israel they could both sign the ceasefire and be totally free to keep carrying out attacks on Hezbollah.
Sources are now reporting that not only did that happen, but that the US and Israel actually signed a secret agreement with respect to the ceasefire the US was supposed to enforce. Lebanon was made aware of the secret deal, though they never signed nor approved of it.
This revelation now provides context to the in excess to 1,000 ceasefire violations Israel has committed since November 27, and why the US did absolutely nothing about it. Israel has continued near-daily attacks on southern Lebanon, and spent months after the ceasefire was agreed burning homes in southern villages.
It was unlikely that Israel would’ve agreed to a ceasefire if it came with the presumption they could actually have to cease firing. Israel has presented each attack they carried out as an “imminent threat” posed by Hezbollah, even though Hezbollah has not carried out a single attack on Israel since the ceasefire was agreed upon.
Lebanese MPs have been complaining about the secret agreement in recent days. The US National Security Council claimed the existence of the agreement was “not true,” but refused to answer any followup questions about why Israel keeps carrying out attacks without a US reaction.
The secret agreement and the continued attacks cast a pall over ongoing US efforts to start mediation of border disputes between Israel and Lebanon. Israeli officials have suggested that the aim of the new talks about Israeli occupations of the Shebaa Farms, the ongoing military presence inside southern Lebanon, and other issues could lead to “normalization” with Lebanon.
The Lebanese PM’s office insisted the talks are not in any way a path to normalization on their own. Rather, they say the new committee discussions on border issues are part of UN Resolution 1701, and that there are still no direct talks with Israel ongoing.
In the meantime, the tensions remain palpable at the border, with Israeli airstrikes continuing. Lebanese troops reportedly removed barbed wire from the area of Barkat Risha, in the south of the Tyre District along the Israel border. The wire was left there by Israeli occupation forces.
