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IDF Withdrawal from Lebanon: Is it Feasible by Jan. 26?
A general view shows the Lebanese capital Beirut during the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, in Beirut, Lebanon, January 1, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
JNS.org – Despite the 60-day test period for the northern ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, at the end of which, the Israeli military is supposed to withdraw from the Land of the Cedars, the Israel Defense Forces remains engaged in frequent operations targeting Hezbollah positions in Southern Lebanon.
For example, on Jan. 12, the IDF conducted what it described as “intelligence-based strikes on a number of Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon.”
The strikes were preceded by the presentation of intelligence to the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, the military said, consisting of representatives of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), the United States, France and the United Nations, which failed to address the threats posed by the targets.
The targets included “a rocket launcher site, a military site and routes along the Syria-Lebanon border used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah,” the IDF said, while stressing its commitment to “remove any threat to the State of Israel” and preventing “any attempt by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to rebuild its forces in accordance with the ceasefire understandings.”
As such, concerns are growing about whether the Lebanese Armed Forces can fulfill its obligations to clamp down on illegal Hezbollah activity in Southern Lebanon under the ceasefire agreement.
Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, a senior research fellow at the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy, and former head of the Research and Assessment Division of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, told JNS that the IDF is enforcing the ceasefire not only through its presence in the region but also via surveillance and targeted strikes beyond the immediate areas under its deployment.
“We see strikes in the last 24 hours in areas along the crossings between Syria and Lebanon. We saw strikes on various military targets that were not properly addressed by the Lebanese,” said Kuperwasser.
He added that while these operations aim to prevent Hezbollah from rearming in violation of the ceasefire, they also highlight a key difference from past engagements, which Israel did not actively enforce.
“Unlike the reality under U.N. [Security Council] Resolution 1701 before the [Swords of Iron/Northern Arrows] war, when we refrained from striking Lebanon, now we strike if the Lebanese Army fails to fulfill its obligations. We will report violations to the monitoring committee, and if they act, excellent. If they do not act, we will act ourselves.
“Can this be done 100%? No, because some of these villagers are Hezbollah operatives, and they live in these villages,” he said. “But it must be insured that there is no Hezbollah presence—in the form of armed Hezbollah operatives—in these places.”
Kuperwasser expressed doubts about the LAF’s ability to deliver on its responsibilities, particularly under its new leadership.
“The hope is that the Lebanese Army, especially now that there is a new president and a new government in Lebanon, will fulfill its duties. But we have not yet seen a sufficiently effective deployment of the Lebanese Army,” he said.
He added that while Israel intends to fulfill its side of the signed agreement and withdraw, delays in the IDF withdrawal could nevertheless occur if the LAF is not prepared to take full control. “If the reality proves that they are not ready, it may be necessary to postpone the implementation [of the withdrawal],” Kuperwasser said.
“Israel signed an agreement. It agreed to the understandings, and intends to implement them. If the other side cannot fulfill its part of the agreement, we need to either reopen it, extend the timeline, or find other ways to address the issue,” Kuperwasser said.
Airstrikes not enough
Dr. Yossi Mansharof, an expert on Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Shi’ite militias at the Misgav Institute, argued that the IDF faces a “problematic situation” in which it is enforcing the ceasefire while the LAF fails to take meaningful action.
The IDF, he said, is essentially enforcing the ceasefire without the monitoring mechanism fulfilling its mission or enforcing the ceasefire itself.
“The Lebanese Army is not addressing the information transferred by the IDF regarding Hezbollah’s presence south of the Litani River. The Americans are determined to continue with this outline, and therefore, it seems that the best Israel can do is reconsider whether it can withdraw from areas it took from Hezbollah, which should be a significant bargaining chip in applying the ceasefire agreement.”
Mansharof noted that airstrikes alone cannot provide a long-term solution, adding, “As proven in the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, airstrikes are of limited effectiveness. As long as the Lebanese Army is not fulfilling the role assigned to it by all sides in the ceasefire, the IDF should delay its withdrawal and demand that the Lebanese government acts in line with the agreed ceasefire mechanism.”
The situation is further complicated by international pressure, according to Mansharof.
“Israel is expected to face international, and particularly American, pressure,” he cautioned, referring to a statement made by U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein during a recent visit to Beirut, in which he reiterated Washington’s commitment to ensuring the IDF’s full withdrawal by Jan. 26.
However, Mansharof argued that the LAF, under the leadership of newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, is ill-prepared to meet the demands of the ceasefire.
“It seems that the Lebanese Army is unable to transition from a period in which it cooperated, in various ways, under Aoun’s command, with Hezbollah, to a situation in which it acts directly against Hezbollah,” Mansharof warned.
He expressed similar concerns regarding the Shi’ite population in Southern Lebanon, which has historically cooperated with Hezbollah.
“It is clear that this raises a lot of concern among the residents of the [Israeli] border communities,” Mansharof said, adding that Hezbollah operatives have used civilian homes to store weapons and ammunition.
The post IDF Withdrawal from Lebanon: Is it Feasible by Jan. 26? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Revolting: Media Claim Moral Equivalence Between Terrorists and Hostages in Appalling Ceasefire Coverage
A combination picture shows undated handout images of hostages Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, and Almog Sarusi, who were kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks, and then executed to prevent their return to Israel. Photo: Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/Handout via REUTERS
The families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza gathered in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night as details of a tentative ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas were announced.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced the agreement, which was followed by a speech by US President Joe Biden, who described the deal as one primed to bring a “permanent end to the war.”
While some of the exact terms remain unclear — including the names of those who will be released and the precise timing — what is certain is that hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many jailed for violent and deadly terrorism offenses, will be set free. This includes approximately 1,300 terrorists, around 250 of whom are serving life sentences.
Yet, the media’s coverage of the ceasefire deal has defied belief, managing to portray the release of over 1,000 Palestinian terrorists and prisoners not only as a positive step — but also as somehow morally equivalent to the freeing of Israeli hostages kidnapped during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terror attacks.
The Associated Press, for example, claimed the deal would involve the release of “hundreds of Palestinian women and children imprisoned by Israel” — a gross misrepresentation of the facts by one of the world’s largest news agencies.
Enough with the false moral equivalence, @AP. The “hundreds of Palestinian women & children imprisoned by Israel” are in jail for terror and violent offenses while Israel’s hostages were brutally kidnapped by Hamas.
And there’s more abysmal reporting of a possible ceasefire
pic.twitter.com/BjFu6i5PIY
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) January 15, 2025
Sky News went even further, claiming the exchange involved “the release of a number of hostages in exchange for [the] release of Palestinian prisoners as well, including women, children, sick, and elderly on both sides” — drawing a grotesque and false equivalence between innocent hostages and prisoners held for violent offenses.
“The release of a number of hostages in exchange for a release of a number of Palestinian prisoners as well, including women & children & sick & elderly on both sides.”
No, @SkyNews, Israeli hostages are not morally equivalent to Palestinian prisoners held for terror offenses. pic.twitter.com/gRWSpaZaEa
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) January 15, 2025
Meanwhile, the AFP devoted its coverage to the families of Palestinian prisoners feeling “hopeful” about the ceasefire deal.
In a shamelessly sympathetic piece, the AFP interviewed Wafaa Ghalmi, whose husband, Ahed Ghalmi, is serving a life sentence plus five years for leading the terror cell that assassinated Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi in 2001.
Ghalmi expressed her delight at the possibility of her husband’s release, calling it a “happy” time for her family and others in Gaza.
In addition, numerous outlets, including Reuters, NPR, and Sky News, opted to describe the Palestinian prisoners as “detainees,” suggesting they are being held for political reasons rather than for violent terrorist acts.
Even more worryingly, some media outlets suggested that Israel is violating the terms of the deal — before it even took effect.
Reuters, for example, implied that Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday night were a breach of the ceasefire, despite the fact that the truce has not yet commenced. Former MSNBC pundit Mehdi Hasan also weighed in, claiming the agreement would only hold if “Israel sticks to it,” conveniently ignoring Hamas’ long history of breaking ceasefire agreements.
In the coming days, as the ceasefire continues to take effect in stages, it is crucial to remind the media of some key facts:1. Israel has never violated a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
2. Hamas initiated this war on October 7, 2023, when its terrorists crossed the border, massacred innocent civilians, and kidnapped hundreds of men, women, and children. These hostages have been held in inhumane conditions in Gaza’s underground tunnels.
3. There is no moral equivalence between the Israeli hostages — innocent civilians ripped from their homes and a music festival — and the hundreds of terrorists legitimately held in Israeli prisons for violent offenses.
4. Israel’s war in Gaza is against Hamas, a terrorist organization sworn to Israel’s annihilation. Hamas has vowed to repeat October 7 “again and again,” while using Palestinian civilians as human shields and refusing to release the innocent people it abducted.
The media must do their job and report these facts.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
The post Revolting: Media Claim Moral Equivalence Between Terrorists and Hostages in Appalling Ceasefire Coverage first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Amid Ceasefire, Fatah Vows to Continue Terror and Be ‘The Flame of the Armed Struggle’
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, US, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
As Hamas continues to gain popularity thanks to its successful implementation of terror, which will now lead to the release of many imprisoned terrorists and murderers, Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Party is reminding everyone that it has always been the leader of Palestinian terror.
The party’s social media content leaves no doubt regarding its goal for 2025: to continue that terror against Israel.
Fatah has posted images of masked terrorists posing with assault rifles, a picture of arch-terrorist Abu Jihad — who orchestrated the murder of at least 125 people, and Yasser Arafat — who conducted the Palestinian Authority’s 5-year terror campaign, together with logos and text praising “the armed struggle.”
Text on the image above: “Fatah, which bore the rifle and defended the Palestinian decision, was and still is the loyal guardian of the national project.”
The image posted below by Fatah shows former PLO and PA Chairman Yasser Arafat on the right walking with terrorist Khalil Al-Wazir “Abu Jihad.”
Posted text: “The story of a people and the struggle of a homeland
#The_60th_anniversary_of_the_Launch_of_the_Palestinian_revolution
Fatah is not just a political movement, but rather the story of a people the struggle of a homeland
On the 60th anniversary of its Intilaqa [i.e., the anniversary of “the Launch” of Fatah, counted from its first terror attack against Israel], the hope and the promise are renewed.” [emphasis added]
[Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Facebook page, Dec. 29, 2024]
Fatah’s image above shows an old Fatah logo featuring a masked man, an assault rifle, and a Palestinian flag.
Text on logo: “Fatah is the eternal revolution and Al-Asifa [i.e., Fatah military unit] is the flame of the armed struggle
1965-2025
Fatah will continue to be the eternal revolution”
[Fatah Commission of Information and Culture, Facebook page, Dec. 30, 2024]
And this goal is not just espoused by the old men of Fatah, who have experienced 60 years of “the armed struggle.”
The young Palestinian generation is just as determined in its vow to fight Israel.
Fatah’s Shabiba Student Movement and Student Union Council at Palestine Technical University — Kadoorie call for holy war, “jihad,” asking Allah to “strengthen the Jihad fighters” and “grant victory to the Palestinians,” while “sow[ing] fear in the hearts of their enemies”:
Text on image: “May Allah make the new year good for Palestine; may He strengthen the Jihad fighters in it, grant victory to the Palestinians, give glory, victory, and strength to those carrying out Ribat, and sow fear in the hearts of their enemies.”
Posted text: “Happy New Year, and may Allah bring us and you victory and liberation in it.
Your brothers in the [Fatah] Shabiba Student Movement and the Student Union [at Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie].” [emphasis added]
[Facebook page, Jan. 1, 2025]
Another clear sign of the PA and Fatah’s violent aspirations for 2025 is this photo of Ramallah and El-Bireh District Governor Laila Ghannam, with her hands on the shoulders of a girl wearing a yellow headband of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades — Fatah’s military wing responsible for numerous terror attacks.
The PA governor’s endorsement of the Brigades and their terror is clear:
[PA Ramallah and El-Bireh Governorate, Facebook page, Dec. 31, 2024]
Numerous convicted terrorists and murderers will be released as part of this hostage deal; and they will be considered heroes by Palestinians.
The author is a senior analyst at Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article was originally published.
The post Amid Ceasefire, Fatah Vows to Continue Terror and Be ‘The Flame of the Armed Struggle’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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How Trump Used Israel in the Game of Geopolitics — and How Israel Should Respond
Thousands of supporters of hostage families gather in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv as three hostages are returned to Israel. Photo: Paulina Patimer / Hostages Families Forum
The US-brokered hostage-ceasefire deal — secured by fiat, not consensus — struck a harsh blow at the Jewish community this week. Notwithstanding the joy of finally seeing the hostages returned to their families and communities, many are questioning how President Donald Trump, who always claims to be a diehard supporter of Israel, could send an envoy to pressure Netanyahu into agreeing to suspend the campaign to extinguish Hamas and release convicted terrorists who pose an imminent danger to Israel’s security.
The simple explanation — Trump’s need to show off his masterful negotiation skills in achieving a ceasefire and the return of the Israeli hostages even before he had taken office — is not sufficient. It conveniently overlooks the game-changing geopolitical forces hidden beneath the glossy wrapper of “peace talks.” To begin with, it is no secret that Trump’s main objective is to have the US achieve economic superiority over China. He promised to set up the “External Revenue Service” on his first day in office to collect tariffs from Chinese imports that flood the US consumer markets. Because China represents to Trump the greatest existential threat to America, his policies, politics, and passions are principally geared toward facilitating America’s dominance in trade relations and in closing the US border.
It would be hard to ignore how Trump, in his mission to defeat his Chinese rivals, has tried to leverage the support of Russia, by displaying unusual comity and collegiality toward Putin. In essence, by showing fealty to Russia, Trump plausibly weakens the dyad between China and Russia. It is no secret that Russia wanted Israel to cease their combat operations in Gaza because continued fighting in the Middle East could endanger the survival of the Iranian regime. Not surprisingly, less than 48 hours after Israel announced its agreement to the hostage-ceasefire deal, Putin put on an amazing spectacle. Holding a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart, President Masoud Pezeshkian, Putin applauded the deal and urged its immediate implementation.
Since it is no secret that Russia has vociferously supported Palestinian statehood (in fact, Putin reiterated those wishes at the press conference with Pezeshkian), it is concerning how easily Putin may try to exact compromises and concessions from Trump, who needs Russia to leverage America’s rival, China. Trump’s strong-arming of Israel into a terrible ceasefire-hostage deal, immediately followed by his stern warnings to the Jewish State regarding any possible violation of the 60-day Lebanon-Hezbollah ceasefire, has placed Israel on the altar of a dangerous geopolitical chess game. The Jewish State has been slid across the chessboard as a pawn of politics, while superpowers naturally take credit for their mastery of this game.
Similar to geopolitical jockeying, market dynamics likewise factor into the chess game of peace negotiations. Fitch — the first major credit rating agency to take a sledgehammer to Israel’s creditworthiness when it began its justified counteroffensive in Gaza against Hamas in 2023 — let out speculation shortly before Netanyahu accepted the hostage-ceasefire deal that Israel would enjoy a boost to its credit rating, thereby making the Jewish State more appealing to foreign investors. For a country already stressed by a 15-month multi-front war, dangling these promises of a much-needed credit upgrade is very tempting. All in all, the Latin Proverb Praemonitus Praemunitus (forewarned is forearmed) cannot be understated.
The geopolitics of peace negotiations, and the concomitant market undercurrents that resulted in the 11th-hour arm-twisting diplomacy in Israel, is a reminder that the Jewish State is a cog in a much larger system. To deny this reality leads to false hope, miscalculation, and much agony. All in all, the Ferris wheel of fate has played out, and arguably not to Israel’s benefit. The landslide victory of Trump had emboldened the Jewish State and Jews throughout the world. Those feelings were justified, considering the staunch support Trump had given Israel in his prior term, as well as his present appointment of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, an undeniably strong ally of Israel, to serve as the US ambassador to the Jewish State.
However, it’s time to get off the Ferris wheel and stand firmly on the ground. A steady mooring will make Israel less likely to be moved around as a pawn on a chessboard. And this augurs well for Israel’s long-term survival.
Amy Neustein, Ph.D., is a sociologist and author/editor of 16 academic books on socio-political institutions, a speaker on counter-terrorism, and the recipient of the Pro-Humanitate Literary Award.
The post How Trump Used Israel in the Game of Geopolitics — and How Israel Should Respond first appeared on Algemeiner.com.