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Lebanon: Nasrallah agreed to a ceasefire just before Israel killed him

In an interview with CNN yesterday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib confirmed Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire with Israel moments before the occupation state killed its Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah last week. The Lebanese government had informed America and France of the decision, he explained, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also accepted the terms.

October 3, 2024 at 11:44 am

Lebanon and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire with Israel moments before the occupation state assassinated the movement’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah last week, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.

“We agreed completely,” said Bou Habib. “Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire.” He added: “The Lebanese House Speaker, Mr Nabih Berri, consulted with Hezbollah and we informed the Americans and the French about the agreement. They told us that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu also agreed to the statement issued by both presidents.”

The minister confirmed that Hezbollah had agreed to the ceasefire proposal, which was part of a broader initiative involving American and French leadership. The US, France and other allies had prepared a 21-day ceasefire plan starting on 25 September after Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. However, the ceasefire agreement was rejected by Netanyahu a day later, after which he ordered the military to continue fighting.

The revelation raises questions about Israel’s motives in escalating the conflict despite apparent progress towards a ceasefire. It’s been pointed out that Israel’s behaviour aligns with a long-standing strategy of avoiding what has been termed a “peace offensive” by the occupation state.

The concept, first articulated by Israeli strategist Avner Yaniv in 1982, posits that Israel perceives a risk in Palestinians or their allies becoming too moderate or diplomatically credible. Such a scenario could force Israel to make peace or engage in talks, potentially undermining its military or political dominance in the Middle East.

Critics argue that successive Israeli governments have historically used escalations in violence as a means to avoid peace negotiations. By provoking or continuing conflicts, Israel can justify military actions, prevent diplomatic solutions, and delay the establishment of a Palestinian state, allowing for continued illegal settlement expansion and the domination of Palestine.

Israel has been offered full normalisation by the Arab world since 2002 through the Arab Peace Initiative. The proposal pledges Arab countries to a comprehensive peace and normal relations with Israel in exchange for ending the occupation and establishing a Palestinian state. However, Israel has consistently rejected this offer, preferring to continue its illegal occupation and territorial expansion.

The reluctance to pursue peace is evidenced further by the hateful charter of the most successful political party in Israel, Likud, led by Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister, Netanyahu. “The Jordan River will be the permanent eastern border of the State of Israel,” says the charter. “The Government of Israel flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan River.”

This latest claim about Israel rejecting peace in favour of a war with Hezbollah, will be seen as yet another attempt by the apartheid state to avoid diplomatic solutions in favour of continuing its illegal occupation of Palestine.

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