By Zein Khalil
JERUSALEM (AA) – A far-right Israeli minister continued to encourage unrest in the Middle East on Wednesday by attacking his government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming Israel agreed to a cease-fire with Lebanon “under duress,” in addition to failing to defeat Hezbollah.
Speaking to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Israeli Minister of Heritage Amihai Eliyahu criticized both the cease-fire terms and Tel Aviv’s reliance on the US.
Eliyahu, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) Party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir - who was the only member of Israel’s security cabinet to vote against the agreement - described the deal with Lebanon as “terrible.”
“The agreement doesn't have many of the terms we talked about - a buffer zone and disarming Hezbollah,” he said.
“The fact that we hurt Hezbollah is nice and good. If we want to ensure our long-term security in the north, we have to make a decision, and this is not a decision,” he added.
The Israeli minister noted: “It is not victory. Victory means conquest, it means duress.”
Addressing the role of the US in the negotiations, Eliyahu expressed frustration, saying: “I am aware that there is pressure from the American side, I hope that the next administration (under Donald Trump) will be more comfortable for us to conduct ourselves, and I very much hope that if there are violations, we will be able to act.”
He also criticized Israel's dependency on US support, including military supplies.
“As long as we depend in this way and our ammunition comes from there, our hands and feet are tied,” he noted.
The cease-fire deal between Israel and Lebanon took effect hours after US President Joe Biden said a proposal to end the conflict had been reached, amid hopes it would stop Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese towns and cities and end the year-long cross-border fighting.
According to the terms of the cease-fire, Israel will withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line in a phased manner while the Lebanese army deploys its forces in southern Lebanon within a period that doesn't exceed 60 days.
The implementation of the agreement will be overseen by the US and France. However, details on enforcement mechanisms remain unclear.
Over 3,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and over 1 million displaced since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio