News - Middle East: A ceasefire in Lebanon is expected to come into effect within the next few days or hours, according to reports from both Lebanese and Israeli sources.

Since Monday evening, officials in Lebanon have confirmed that the framework of the agreement is complete, with only a final announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu expected on Tuesday. If finalized, this would represent a severe defeat for the Israeli enemy and a historic victory for Hezbollah, adding to its previous successes in its struggle with Israel, the most notable being the 2006 July War.

In this round of conflict, the Lebanese Islamic Resistance provided direct support to the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, which is facing a campaign of genocide by the Israeli enemy. 

This support led to the displacement of more than 200,000 settlers from northern Israeli settlements, the neutralization of two-thirds of the Israeli army from the Gaza front, and significant destruction in northern settlements overlooking Lebanon. Netanyahu, in response, shifted the battle to the north, declaring his intent to force settlers back to northern settlements and achieve Israel’s dream of absolute regional control.

The Israeli enemy initially achieved some gains in its military campaign, including killing thousands of civilians in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, assassinating Hezbollah leaders, most notably Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and causing widespread destruction in southern Beirut and villages in southern Lebanon.

However, Hezbollah fighters managed to recover, reorganize, and restore their balance. They engaged in fierce ground battles with the enemy along the border with occupied Palestine. Over two months of fighting, the Israeli occupation forces failed to make significant progress on the ground and suffered heavy losses.

An Israeli media platform described the agreement as a "surrender" by the government in the north, claiming its effects are already evident even before the signing. Meanwhile, the head of the local council in Nahariya warned residents to remain indoors for the next 48 hours unless absolutely necessary.

The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth highlighted that the need to relieve overstretched reserve forces in Lebanon and Gaza was a driving factor behind the agreement with Lebanon. The paper also focused on the devastation caused by Hezbollah’s missiles in northern settlements, noting that the destruction in Kiryat Shmona is unprecedented. Nearly every building in border towns with Lebanon requires repair or demolition.

According to the report, the number of destroyed homes in northern Israel exceeds 8,800, alongside more than 7,000 vehicles and approximately 300 agricultural sites.

At the start of the conflict, Israel aimed to dismantle Hezbollah’s “command and control” system, crush the group, and eliminate it from Lebanon’s political life (an effort led by the Americans). Ultimately, however, Israel agreed to an agreement endorsed by Hezbollah.

Lebanese writer and political analyst Khalil Nasrallah stated, "Their talk of ‘weakening Hezbollah’ has also dissipated. Reviewing Sunday’s events is enough to understand this." He added that "disarming Hezbollah" is no longer part of Israeli political discourse. Settlers have only returned under an agreement, and the Middle East remains unchanged, with the balance of power intact.