Wednesday, November 27

Israel and Hezbollah have finally agreed on a permanent ceasefire deal, ending the 13-month-long conflict between the two warring sides.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed organization that maintains a strong presence in Lebanon, has kept up its strong support for Hamas since the latter's invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023. Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged fire numerous times, including hundreds of airstrikes. Over 3,100 Lebanese citizens have been killed and at least 1.3 million people in Lebanon have been displaced over the last few months amidst increasing tension, while a total of 122 Israelis have died in Hezbollah bombardments. Because of continued Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel, Israel has persisted with devastating missile strikes, ground operations, and pager explosions in the Lebanese capital city of Beirut, one of the most vulnerable areas to attacks due to its high population density.

Hezbollah and Israel attempted to strike up peace talks earlier in the year, but the constant fighting made it tough for the two sides to come to an agreement. Then, when Hezbollah leader Hassan Nazrallah was killed, ceasefire talks stopped altogether as Hezbollah focused its resources on retaliation.

However, on Tuesday, a proposal for a ceasefire passed through the Israeli security cabinet, and it was quickly approved by Hezbollah soon after. The deal states that all conflicts must be resolved and forces must be withdrawn within 60 days, including the fact that Hezbollah forces must retreat at least 25 miles from the country border and all Israel troops must quickly pull out of Lebanon's territory. It also calls for the Lebanese government to work with the United Nations to ensure that Hezbollah troops stay north of the Litani River, which will keep their forces many miles away from the Israel-Lebanon border to prevent any future conflict. This will also allow Lebanon to rebuild the border region that has been severely damaged by attacks on both sides while stopping Hezbollah from rebuilding.

Now, all that's left to see is if the sides actually hold up the agreement, as it is a tough task. Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza continues, meaning that Hezbollah still has motive to attack Israel again, but Israel has promised to respond with full-fledged military action if the truce is broken. Unfortunately, while this truce has a huge effect on the lives of people across Lebanon, it has almost no impact on the area suffering the most: Gaza. Over 44,250 people have been killed and another 1.9 million have been displaced, while aid trickles in and ceasefire talks have been completely shut down.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Many grazing animals, including goats, sheep, and horses, all have rectangular pupils to give them a wider field of vision.

Quote of the Day: Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm. (Unknown)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Eddy (noun)- An eddy is a current of water or air running contrary to the main current, especially as a whirlpool. In figurative use, eddy may also refer to a contrary or circular current of thought or policy.

In a Sentence: The strong gusts whipped up eddies of fallen leaves.