Why the Israeli and Lebanese governments accepted a ceasefire – and will Hezbollah abide?

[0:00] AMNA NAWAZ- For insights on the announced cease-fire by the U.S., Israel and Lebanon, [0:03] we turn now to author and journalist Kim Khadas. Her most recent book is Black Wave, [0:08] which is about the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran. She's now a visiting professor at [0:13] Dartmouth College. Kim, welcome back to the NewsHour. Let's start with the Israeli government [0:17] here. We saw there Prime Minister Netanyahu was just on Lebanese territory days ago to visit [0:22] Israeli troops. It seems clear they intend to stay. So why did he sign on to a cease-fire right now? [0:28] AMNA NAWAZ- Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel generally signed on to a cease-fire because [0:34] President Trump requested that they do so to give a chance to the U.S.-Iran negotiations that are [0:42] unfolding. As I like to say, beware of small nations. As the U.S. and Iran were entering those [0:48] negotiations, Iran was threatening that it would not abide by a request for a cease-fire if the war [0:55] continued in Lebanon, a small nation where much of this started 43 years ago with the Israeli invasion [1:03] of Lebanon of 1982 and the creation and the birth of Hezbollah. So Benjamin Netanyahu was under pressure [1:11] to respond to President Trump's demand that there be a cease-fire so that the U.S.-Iran negotiations could [1:18] proceed. And that's what we're seeing unfold right now. And we'll have to see whether they extend [1:23] beyond the first 10 days that have been agreed. What about the thinking of the Lebanese government [1:28] here? Why would they accept this cease-fire? Well, the Lebanese are exhausted. This is their [1:34] second war in a year and a half, waged by Hezbollah against Israel, but affecting all of Lebanon. [1:41] We saw a day of carnage in Beirut last year, last week, forgive me. On Wednesday, 100 strikes [1:48] in just 10 minutes across the country, including the capital Beirut, which was devastating for a [1:55] country the size of Connecticut. And so Lebanon is not just accepting a cease-fire, it was demanding [2:02] a cease-fire. And it had put already on the table several weeks ago a proposal to have direct [2:08] negotiations with Israel to come to a cease-fire proposal, which at the time was rejected by Benjamin [2:15] Netanyahu. And President Trump wasn't that interested then, but he is interested now. [2:21] Lebanon has also conditions. I mean, we're hearing President Trump saying that there could be [2:27] a meeting soon between the Lebanese leader and the Israeli leader. [2:31] I don't see that happening, Amna, if the Israelis are still occupying parts of Lebanon [2:36] and Benjamin Netanyahu is able to walk around the south of the country. [2:41] Kim, perhaps one of the biggest questions is Hezbollah in all of this. You saw part of the [2:45] statement that they put out to us here at PBS NewsHour, saying any cease-fire has to be [2:50] comprehensive across all Lebanese territory, must not allow what they call the Israeli enemy, [2:56] any freedom of movement. Will Hezbollah abide by this cease-fire? [3:00] We'll have to see. For now, they will. There is celebratory gunfire in Beirut, [3:08] in Hezbollah areas. They claim this as their victory, that they force the enemy into this [3:16] cease-fire. But what the Lebanese government is very keen to make clear is that it is the [3:21] Lebanese government that will negotiate going forward. And the Lebanese don't want to be included [3:27] in an Iran negotiating track. They want to assert their sovereignty and have their seat at the table, [3:34] as controversial as it may be in Lebanon in the eyes of some that the Lebanese would be sitting down [3:40] with Israelis, as we saw on Tuesday. It's the first time this happened since the 1980s, since 1983. [3:48] Lebanon has not had a seat at the table for regional negotiations while it was under Syrian occupation, [3:54] and now as Iran tries to assert itself as the sort of patron of Lebanon. [4:00] Lebanon wants its own seat at the table. It is going to be very difficult to manage this, [4:06] especially as the agreement, as we've seen the statement put out by the State Department, [4:11] really essentially is a return to the status quo ante before this latest eruption. [4:16] And it depends on how much the U.S. can put pressure on Israel to make some concessions. [4:22] And it's going to depend on the diplomatic chops and the diplomatic ability of the Lebanese [4:28] government and the Lebanese negotiator to move forward, and also show that they can indeed [4:34] prevent Hezbollah from striking Israel. [4:36] AMNA NAWAZEKAR, Ph.D.: That is author and journalist Kim Qadas joining us tonight. [4:40] Kim, thank you so much. Always good to speak with you. [4:42] AMNA NAWAZEKAR, Ph.D.: Support journalism you trust. Support PBS News. Donate now, [4:51] or even better, start a monthly contribution today.