Jonathan Conricus, former spokesperson for Israel Defense Forces, told Newsmax on Wednesday that the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah is "something almost positive," but questioned if it will bring an end to hostilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet approved a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal on Tuesday that went into effect early Wednesday morning. It includes provisions that only "official military and security forces" in Lebanon are permitted to carry weapons and affirms a commitment to the "disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon."
"The duration of the cease-fire depends on what happens in Lebanon," Netanyahu said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that Israel "will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. We will continue together until victory."
Conricus said on "National Report" the day after the cease-fire was approved that "Finally, something almost positive is coming out of the Middle East."
However, he noted that the agreement is "only between Israel and the Lebanese state. The guarantees of this are on the U.S. and France, which is important but. unfortunately, Hezbollah isn't really a signatory and neither is the Iranian regime, the one that funds and equips and guides Hezbollah in Lebanon."
Conricus added that "what we can hope for is that 60 days will pass and that the conditions on the ground will be met for Israeli civilians to be able to go back to their homes."
The agreement also means that "Israel can focus on finishing the job in Gaza and perhaps on moving onwards to stabilizing the country again and perhaps looking onwards towards Iran," he said.
Conricus said that Wednesday "is the first day so far without any significant events and no violations, but really the big questions are how will this hold, who will verify it, and how can Israelis be assured that it is indeed safe to go back home to the homes that they were forced to evacuate on the 8th of October and haven't been back to since."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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