Ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is very fragilepublished at 01:16 BST
01:16 BST
Frank Gardner
Security correspondent
Reactions to this latest ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon may be one of relief tempered with a fairly hefty dose of scepticism.
Remember that the conflict is not between Israel and Lebanon – it’s between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, of course, is completely embedded in Lebanon, both politically and militarily – and the fact that there initially hadn’t been any announcement or immediate reaction from Hezbollah is a little bit ominous.
The group has since signalled it is likely to abide by the ceasefire – but adds that a deal will need to include a “comprehensive halt” to all attacks in Lebanon.
The Israelis will take very little provocation from Hezbollah before they are tempted to break that ceasefire.
This is a very fragile ceasefire, even more fragile, I would say, than the one between Iran and the US, and of course the two are not disconnected.
Israel and the US are trying to say that this is a separate issue but for there to be peace in the Middle East, there has got to be peace in the Gulf, in Iran and in Lebanon – and we are a very, very long way off resolving the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which has got very deep roots and extends right back into events that take place in the West Bank and Gaza.
This is breathing space at best.