Some 90,000 residents of Northern Israel may soon return to their homes, abandoned after a year-long barrage of missiles from Lebanon which included the murder of 12 Israeli children on a soccer field. The news comes after a ceasefire went into effect Tuesday at 8pm Central Time.
In Lebanon, many residents of towns in the southern part of the country have begun returning to their homes but Israel has asked that they not return until Israeli forces have withdrawn. Israel has said it will respond if Hezbollah breaks the cease-fire agreement.
READ: Can a ceasefire bring peace? It will be tough
Under the terms of the agreement Israel will leave all Lebanese territory within 60 days, and the Lebanese army will fill the void and secure the area with hopes that it can prevent Hezbollah from again setting it up as a base for attacks on Israel.
In a surprise move, Lebanon is committing its army to continue Israel’s work of destroying Hezbollah’s infrastructure and bases near the Israeli border, including tunnels Hezbollah built to perpetrate an attack similar to that by Hamas on Oct. 7.
The war with Hezbollah was in response to the terror group’s rocket and missile attacks on Northern Israel which continued up until Tuesday. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) launched a ground invasion on Oct. 1 in an attempt to move the terrorists away from the border and destroy tunnels and other fortifications.
After a year of war with Hamas and attacks from Iran and Yemen, Netanyahu supporters are not supportive of the ceasefire unless it can bring an end to aggression from Lebanon.
The Times of Israel reported a poll which found only 20 percent of those who support Netanyahu’s coalition supported the ceasefire with Hezbollah.
–Dwight Widaman and JNS.org