News Digest — 11/27/24
1st Ceasefire Violation: Hezbollah Terrorists Near Israeli Border, IDF Fires Warning Shots
IDF forces on Wednesday morning (27th) responded to a ceasefire violation by the Hezbollah terror group. During the incident, Hezbollah terrorists neared the Lebanese village of Kfarkela which overlooks the Israeli town of Metula. Spotting the terrorists, the Israeli forces fired warning shots.
The incident follows a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon – to which the Hezbollah terror group is not a signatory – which promises that south of the Litani River, there will be only Lebanese military forces, and not military forces of Hezbollah or any other terror group.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon went into effect at 4: a.m. Wednesday morning (27th), hours after the Israeli Cabinet on Tuesday evening (26th) approved the ceasefire deal, which was brokered by the US, by a majority of 10 –1.
The agreement stipulates that Hezbollah and all other armed terror groups in Lebanon will not carry out any offensive action against Israel, and in return Israel will not carry out any offensive military action against targets in Lebanon, including by land, air and sea.
In addition, Israel and Lebanon will recognize the importance of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, even though, “these obligations do not negate Israel’s or Lebanon’s inherent right to self-defense,” the agreement stated.
Under the agreement, Israel will gradually withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line over a period of up to 60-days. The United States will simultaneously promote indirect negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in order to reach a recognized land border.
Lebanon Ceasefire Takes Effect
In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, Israel’s Diplomatic-Security Cabinet approved a comprehensive ceasefire agreement for the volatile northern border late Tuesday night (26th). With implementation beginning at 4 a.m. Thursday (27th). The deal features robust international monitoring mechanisms and a clear timeline for military withdrawal while maintaining Israel’s right to self defense.
The comprehensive deal stipulates an immediate cessation of hostilities beginning Tuesday night (26th), followed by a 60-day withdrawal period for forces from Lebanese territory. The framework establishes stringent monitoring and enforcement protocols. A separate US diplomatic communication to Israel affirms Israel’s right to respond to immediate threats and agreement violations should the designated mechanism fail to address them.
Included in the Ceasefire agreement are the following points:
1. Complete IDF withdrawal from Lebanese territory within 60 days.
2. US to facilitate resolution of 13 border dispute points between Israel and Lebanon.
3. Lebanese Armed Forces to establish presence along the Israel-Lebanon border in the southern region.
4. UNIFIL forces to resume operations in the area.
5. US general to oversee implementation with control centers established in Beirut and Safed.
6. Formation of international oversight committee to monitor Hezbollah compliance.
7. Lebanese military tasked with ongoing dismantlement of Hezbollah military assets.
8. Separate provision preserves Israel’s right to respond to immediate threats and violations if Lebanese forces fail to address them.
In a recorded media statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined three strategic rationales for the northern ceasefire: “First reason – focusing on the Iranian threat. Second reason – force refreshment and inventory replenishment. It’s no secret there were major delays in weapons and ammunition supplies, and this delay is about to be resolved soon, this will protect our soldiers’ lives and give us crushing power to complete our mission. Third reason – Isolating the arena and Isolating Hamas. With Hezbollah out of the picture, Hamas is alone in the battle. The pressure will increase and this will aid in the sacred mission of freeing our hostages.”
Netanyahu On Lebanon Ceasefire: ‘If Hezbollah Doesn’t Follow The Agreement, We’ll Attack’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation on Tuesday evening (26th) announcing his intention to bring the proposed Lebanon ceasefire plan for a vote.
At the beginning of his remarks, Netanyahu stated, “I promised victory and we will achieve victory. We will complete the elimination of Hamas, the return of all our hostages and the return of the residents of the north.”
“We have destroyed significant parts of Iran’s air defense and a significant component of its nuclear program,” he added.
Addressing the ceasefire, Netanyahu said, “This evening, I will bring before the Cabinet a ceasefire plan. How long it will last depends on what will happen in Lebanon.”
“If Hezbollah doesn’t follow the agreement, we’ll attack,” he said. “If it’s going to try to build up terrorist structures near the border, or if it brings a truck with missiles, we’ll attack.”
Netanyahu addressed the residents of northern Israel who have been evacuated from their homes for the last 14 months and said, “I am completely committed to your security, the reconstruction of your communities, and your future.”
He said, “To date, thanks to the bravery of our fighters in the IDF, the Israel Security Agency, the Mossad and Israel Police, we have made great inroads into the seven fronts of the “War of Redemption” and set Hezbollah back decades.”
IDF Strikes Beirut On A ‘Large Scale’ In Final Maneuvers Before Ceasefire Agreement
The IDF launched a “large scale” attack on Beirut on Tuesday afternoon (26th), the military announced, hours before a ceasefire was expected to be announced.
The Israeli forces struck 20 targets across Beirut, including 13 in Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s stronghold of support.
The targets included aerial defense units, an intelligence center, command and control centers, weapon storage facilities, artillery storage, and terror infrastructure sites.
The seven targets outside of Dahiyeh were parts of Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure, including headquarters, storage facilities, and branches of the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association (AQAH), which Hezbollah uses to collect, store and launder its funds.
The IDF has stepped up its attacks against AQAH as a means of disabling Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure and overall crippling their ability to buy weapons and finance terror.
The IDF also eliminated a Hezbollah commando cell in southern Lebanon through targeted raids. The cell was reportedly responsible for launching attacks on northern Israel, including Metula.
During the operations, they located, seized, and destroyed long-range anti-tank missiles, a vehicle equipped with a mobile rocket launcher, and launchers aimed at northern Israeli communities, grenades, and additional military equipment left behind by Hezbollah.
The IDF also launched attacks on another 20 rocket launchers, which fired on the Galilee and the Haifa Bay area on Tuesday afternoon (26th).
UN Adviser Fired Over Refusal To Label Gaza War As Genocide, WSJ Argues
An op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal editorial board titled “The UN’s anti-Israel ‘genocide’ purge” claims the United Nations decision not to renew Alice Wairimu Nderitu’s contract as Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide stems directly from her refusal to characterize Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide.
“The United Nations long ago lost credibility as a moral arbiter, but its assault on Israel is hitting a new low,” the op-ed began.
The editorial board quotes her UN biography, which describes her as a “recognized voice in the field of peacebuilding and violence prevention.” She has served since 2020 and is being dismissed “because she has stood firm in her belief that Israel’s war with Hamas isn’t genocide.” They note that her position has put her at odds with “the anti-Israel cabal at the UN.”
Nderitu’s office previously issued guidance in 2022 stressing that UN officials should “Adhere to the correct usage” of the term genocide, warning against “its frequent misuse in referring to large scale, grave crimes committed against particular populations.”
In defending Nderitu’s position, the WSJ editorial board emphasizes the legal requirements for classifying violence as genocide. “As a legal matter, establishing a pattern of violence as a genocide requires demonstrating intent,” they write. “Israel’s campaign of self-defense doesn’t qualify. The war against Hamas has had many deaths, but Israel’s strategy is intended to dismantle a terrorist regime, not eliminate an ethnic group.” The board adds that “The Jewish State has gone to great lengths to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties, even as Hamas uses civilians as shields so their deaths can be used as propaganda.” But, “That’s not what the anti-Israel cabal at the UN wants to hear.”
The editorial points to mounting pressure from other UN officials, particularly Austrian Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who the board says “has spent the past year assailing Israel.” This culminated in a November 14 report from the UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices that supported “serious concerns of breaches of international humanitarian and human rights laws” and “the possibility of genocide in Gaza and an apartheid system in the West Bank.”
A UN spokesperson maintained that “Alice Nderitu is leaving the UN as her contract is expiring,” adding that “Genocide is strictly defined in international law and any legal determination is made by appropriate judicial bodies.” However, the WSJ editorial board argues this explanation rings hollow, noting that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has the authority to extend such contracts, which are “often renewed when their term expires.” “Nderitu’s removal is a political choice.”
The editorial board characterizes Nderitu’s stance as “a profile in courage” for her refusal to endorse a lie in service of a political agenda, while questioning whether “anyone with integrity can survive at the UN.”
Why Palestinians Will Not Have New Leaders – Bassam Tawil
Palestinian leaders have a long history of cracking down on their political rivals and opponents. For the past three decades , leaders of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas have systematically targeted political activists, journalists, social media users, students, professors and human rights activists as part of an ongoing campaign to silence critics and deter others from speaking out against the lack of democracy and freedom of speech.
This abuse has transformed the PA-controlled areas in the West Bank and Hamas-run Gaza into Palestinian dictatorships similar to those that have long-existed in most Arab countries. It has also resulted in the suppression of the emergence of new leaders capable of leading the Palestinians towards security, stability and prosperity. That is the main reason the Palestinians’ only choice today continues to be the current Palestinian Authority and Hamas leaders.
Those who are hoping that a new (and pragmatic) Palestinian leadership will take over one day are in for a disappointment. Even after 89-year-old PA Leader Mahmoud Abbas is gone, his cronies and inner circle will continue to run the show.
In Gaza, no Palestinian will agree to play any administrative role as long as Hamas and its friends are still around. That is why it is necessary to eliminate Hamas completely.
Israel To Build High-Tech Security Wall Along Jordan Border
Although Jordan remains one of Israel’s few Arab allies, Iranian smuggling networks are treating their shared border like an open highway for terror operations. That’s all about to change.
Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Tuesday (26th) he’s won approval for a sophisticated multi-million shekel border barrier, loaded with cutting-edge sensors and surveillance networks, to close a critical 309-mile security gap that Tehran has increasingly exploited.
“We see a relentless and institutionalized Iranian effort to establish an eastern front against the State of Israel. I have decided to intensively promote the construction of the fence on the eastern border between Israel and Jordan. We are going to do it very quickly,” Katz said.
Katz first called for the construction of a fence on the border with Jordan in late August, when he served as Foreign Minister. At the time he accused Tehran of working to create an “eastern terror front against Israel.”
However, security officials have been raising red flags about the border’s vulnerabilities since early 2023.
The October 7 Hamas attack only intensified these concerns, though questions remain about whether the IDF will boost troop presence along the new barrier or rely primarily on technology.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Katz had to overcome longtime opposition from Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, who had repeatedly blocked funding despite security concerns.
While the exact completion timeline remains under wraps, ministry officials indicated construction will begin within months.
Defense Ministry Director-General Eyal Zamir has already ordered Brig. Gen. Eran Ofir’s engineering division to begin mapping of the challenging terrain and begin producing specialized barrier materials.
