Is the Lebanon Ceasefire Here to Stay? – In-Depth with Miri (ILTV Interview)

Miri analyzes the recent ceasefire with Hezbollah on Israel's northern front, emphasizing that its sustainability stems from Hezbollah's urgent need for respite due to their significant losses and lack of interest in resuming hostilities. She clarifies that Israeli troop presence in southern Lebanon remains close to the border and is instrumental in uncovering Hezbollah's large-scale attack preparations, but stresses stopping new weapon flows into southern Lebanon is the real long-term security challenge—one that cannot be solved solely by continued IDF deployments. Miri notes balancing violation monitoring and escalation avoidance is easier now because Hezbollah is disincentivized to provoke renewed conflict, with the main limitation being Israel’s reduced aerial operations over Lebanon, which she believes has marginal operational impact. Regarding northern residents returning home, Miri is cautiously optimistic, citing Hezbollah’s degraded capacity and the mutual deterrence environment, though she stresses the risks inherent in living near the border. Finally, she discusses the renewed rebel activity in Syria, warning these groups are largely jihadist and not favorable to Israel, but highlighting that their success exposes new vulnerabilities in Iranian-backed forces and Hezbollah in the region—a development she views as indirectly positive for Israeli security.