FM Sa’ar says Israel wants to reach a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon that 'will stand the test of time'

Israel’s new foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, held a special briefing on Wednesday in Jerusalem for 100 international ambassadors and heads of foreign missions. Sa’ar addressed the likelihood of a potential ceasefire with Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying that the most important thing for Israel is to “reach an agreement that will stand the test of time.”

U.S. mediation efforts between the sides involved have intensified in recent days, with the Biden administration's senior envoy to the region, Amos Hochstein, citing “additional progress” from Beirut. Hochstein arrived in Israel on Wednesday and is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

“We worked with the Americans we are in contact with the Americans regarding a possible arrangement in Lebanon. From the fact that Special Envoy Hochstein is in the region, you can conclude that the Americans believe that such an arrangement is possible,” Sa’ar told the ambassadors.

“Unfortunately, Lebanon is a failed state,” he continued. “But we cannot pay the price in our security, in the security of our citizens, for their lack of sovereignty or concessions of sovereignty.”

Sa’ar emphasized that Israel would only agree to a ceasefire framework that would maintain its freedom of action against Hezbollah in case of violations on the terror group’s behalf.

“We will have to be able to act in time, before the problems will grow,” he explained, referring to lessons learned in Israel after Oct.7, 2023.

“What Hezbollah intended to do is maybe more serious than what Hamas has done. They planned an invasion. We saw this from their preparations on the ground near our border, with massive missiles and rockets.”

According to reports in Israeli media, the shaping ceasefire agreement stipulates that the IDF will be allowed to stay in Lebanon for at least 60 days and pull out entirely from its neighbor’s territory afterward.

During the transition period, Hezbollah will be required to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River – about 18 miles north of the border with Israel – in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 which ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

In addition, the United States will provide Israel with a written commitment that guarantees its ability to act against "immediate threats" in Lebanon.

Elaborating on these threats, Sa’ar said Israel will have to ensure that Hezbollah is not able to re-arm itself through Syria and Iran and re-group as a military force in Lebanon. He stated that a ceasefire of this kind would also give the Lebanese people an opportunity to end “the Iranian occupation” of their country and emphasized that the international community has a “role to play” in that context.

In his debrief, the foreign minister highlighted that the No. 1 security issue facing Israel in 2025 is the nuclear threat from the Iranian regime.

Sa'ar recently told ALL ISRAEL NEWS Editor-in-Chief Joel Rosenberg that Israel would use the military option on the table - “if it is necessary” – to deal with this threat.

“There is a red line that won’t be crossed, and that’s a huge challenge to us next year,” he said.