State Dept. says Israel, Lebanon ceasefire 'broadly' successful despite reports of violations

Miller emphasized that both Israel and Lebanon have the inherent right to self-defense under international law. 

By HANNAH SARISOHN DECEMBER 2, 2024 21:25

(L-R) US Department of State Antony Blinken & US President Joe Biden; Wall of hostage posters seen in the background (illustrative) (photo credit: Canva, REUTERS)

The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been "broadly speaking" successful in stopping the fighting and limiting the daily loss, the State Department determined on Monday following reports of violations on both sides of the agreement. 

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller would not comment on reports of specific allegations of violations, only pointing to the mechanism in place run by the US and France to monitor violations. 

"I'm not going to speak to reports of possible action, hypothetical action, and try to litigate from here whether those would violate the ceasefire agreement or not," Miller told reporters during a news briefing. 

The US is "engaging through this mechanism" to look at all of these reports of ceasefire violations and "deal with them through the channels that the mechanism set up," Miller said. 

He added it's appropriate to "let the mechanism do its work privately" before speaking to results garnered from it and the US needs to engage with its partners about reports of raised violations with the Israeli government. 

"We obviously anticipated that there might be violations because any time, or nearly any time you have a ceasefire of this nature, you have either claimed violations of the ceasefire, especially in the opening weeks when things are very fragile, or you have real violations of a ceasefire," Miller said. 

US envoy Amos Hochstein reportedly said there had been some Israeli violations of the ceasefire with Lebanon. (credit: INGIMAGE/REUTERS/REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR )

US knew violations would occur

The US knew there would be potential violations just as there's violations of ceasefires anywhere in the world, Miller indicated. 

"Ultimately, what we don't want to see is the ceasefire break down," he said. "We've not seen the ceasefire break down."

In Miller's words, the US is taking reports of violations seriously, and if the mechanism reveals violations of the agreement, the US will go to the parties and "tell them to knock it off."

The US wants to see the ceasefire hold and be successful, Miller continued, and for people to be allowed to return to their homes in southern Lebanon and Northern Israel under the terms of the agreement. 

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Though Miller emphasized that both Israel and Lebanon have the inherent right to self-defense under international law. 

"That was a fact before the implementation of this ceasefire agreement. It remains a fact that all countries have the right to self-defense under international law," he said.