Lebanon ceasefire announced, now it’s time for Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to end the war in Lebanon through a U.S.-brokered ceasefire marks a rare moment of strategic clarity in his tenure. Now if only he would extend this type of rational thinking to Gaza, where he is apparently willing to sacrifice those of the 101 remaining hostages who are still alive, and IDF soldiers, in order to keep his far-right coalition intact.

By agreeing to a deal that withdraws Israeli forces from Lebanon, pushes the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia north of the Litani River several miles away from its border, and installs a U.S.-led international monitoring force, Israel is securing important gains. The main threat of an invasion, possibly via tunnels, similar to Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault, is gone.

Israel is also forcing Hezbollah to abandon its insistence that it would fight on as long as the Gaza war continues. Moreover, Israel has wiped out Hezbollah’s entire senior leadership, including its galvanizing chief Hassan Nasrallah. Most of its rockets and launchers have been used or destroyed. Along with its patrons in Iran, Hezbollah has been humbled.

But what Israel is not achieving is an end to the very existence of Hezbollah as a militia in Lebanon wielding a measure of power — which is an affront primarily to Lebanon itself. Critics are charging that Israel should have exploited its strong position to insist on full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559, mandating the dismantling of all extra-state militias in the country. Indeed, that would have been a favor to Lebanon.

That’s why the Israeli public is divided. A poll on Channel 12 TV on Tuesday night found 37% of the public were in favor of the ceasefire, 32% against and 31% unsure. Asked who won the war, 20% said Israel and 19% said Hezbollah, with 50% saying it was a tie. Not great numbers. It is not clear how many of the estimated 70,000 displaced Israelis will agree to actually return to their homes in the north.