Nick Schifrin:
And before the announcement, Israel pounded Lebanon with a wave of airstrikes, including this one that hit a residential building in Central Beirut. And, inside Israel, Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets and drones, most of which were intercepted by Israeli air defense.
For perspective on the cease-fire, we turn to Randa Slim from the Middle East Institute and Aaron David Miller from the Carnegie Endowment, who’s also been a State Department official in both Democratic and Republican administrations.
Thanks very much. Welcome, both of you, back to the “News Hour.”
Aaron David Miller, let me start with you.
Do you think the cease-fire agreement will work? Will it stick?
Aaron David Miller, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: I mean, I’d ask you, and I’m not trying to trivialize this, ask me in 30 days.
The reality is that this agreement has been concluded largely because Netanyahu wanted it and Hezbollah needed it. The question is, can the agreement survive its vulnerabilities? How much discretion has the U.S. given to the Israelis to respond to violations? Will the Lebanese armed forces enforce and deploy in a way that they will preempt or prevent Hezbollah violations?
I think there’s a reasonable chance, largely because there’s some sense of urgency on the part of Netanyahu and Hezbollah to do this deal. But by no means, I think, can we safely say that, 30 days from now, this deal will have achieved the kind of traction that will make it last months, if not longer.