It’s difficult to imagine a “Hezbollah ceasefire” without Hezbollah agreeing to it, and it’s difficult to look at the terms of this “deal” as presented here and in BBC as anything but surrender enforced by the complete colonial submission of the Lebanese state to the empire. I can’t imagine what Hezbollah must be going through watching the occupation pursue a campaign of assassination, murder, and terrorism against the people of Lebanon with international impunity while their government (at best) rolls over and lets it happen. I’m in no position to judge them specifically, no matter what they decide.

That said, I can only hope there’s some context being omitted. The list of states appearing to praise or agreeing to enforce this “deal” that appears to completely take Hezbollah out of the fight while allowing the occupation to resume attacks at will against Lebanon (which it will obviously do at the earliest opportunity), and continue its campaign of extermination seems like a widespread international abandonment of the Palestinian people.

I read a quote from a settler in a BBC article yesterday that just made it so undeniable to me: the moment they have the opportunity, the occupation army is going to walk right into southern Lebanon unopposed and say “this is ours now”. The Lebanese government couldn’t deny them if they wanted, because every foreign military enforcing this “deal” will welcome them across the border with open arms and watch as the locals are ordered to evacuate north or be exterminated like Gaza.

Rona Valency, evacuated from kibbutz Kfar Giladi on 8 October last year, told me she wanted to go home, and that a ceasefire was needed, but that the idea of Lebanese residents returning to these villages gave her “a real sense of unease and fright”.

…

“Apart from completely erasing these villages, and having no people there, there is no real physical thing that can make me feel safe.”