Day 418 - Tensions as ceasefire with Hezbollah takes effect

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The ceasefire agreement took effect at 4 am local time and IDF troops are still positioned in some areas of southern Lebanon. The militaries in Israel and Lebanon have warned Lebanese civilians against returning to villages where soldiers are still deployed for now. We discuss how fragile this calm is.

Horovitz outlines what was included in the agreement and what was left out, including a buffer zone, which residents of the north consider crucial.

We compare and contrast how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden spoke about the ceasefire when announcing it to the world yesterday.

A snap television poll on Tuesday evening found Israelis divided over the framework for a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Among supporters of Netanyahu’s governing coalition, just 20% said they supported the ceasefire deal, while 45% said they opposed it and 35% said they didn’t know. We hear potential reasons why Netanyahu pushed for the ceasefire at this time.

Israeli, Palestinian and American sources and officials believe the loss of Hezbollah support may push the Gazan terror group to soften its demands, breaking a prolonged deadlock in the negotiations. What could change?

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire comes into effect, halting nearly 14 months of fighting

‘Peace is possible’: Announcing Lebanon truce, US insists this time will be different

20% of coalition voters back Lebanon truce, vs. 50% of opposition voters, poll finds

Officials hope Lebanon truce will isolate Hamas, pave way to deal in Gaza

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: A driver holds up portraits of Hezbollah's slain leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine as people return to Beirut’s southern suburbs on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (Ibrahim Amro/ AFP)

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