Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Deal Takes Effect After 13 Month War
Plus, Trump's tariff plan, and record number of shoppers expected Thanksgiving Holiday weekend
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📌 ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CEASEFIRE NOW IN EFFECT
A 60-day ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist group took effect at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday. US officials and leaders across the region hope it will last longer than that after more than a year of deadly fighting.
President Joe Biden outlined the deal in an announcement on Tuesday: “Over the next 60 days, the Lebanese army…will deploy and take control of their own territory,” said Biden. “And over the next 60 days, Israel will gradually withdraw its remaining forces.”
The agreement, which was brokered by France and the U.S., also stipulates that Hezbollah must relocate its forces and remain at least 20 miles from the Israeli border. The hope is that the Lebanese military will patrol the area and prevent Hezbollah forces from launching attacks in the border region on Israel.
Biden said the agreement "is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on Tuesday that “the duration of the ceasefire will depend on developments in Lebanon,” and that Israel will strike again if Hezbollah violates the terms of the agreement or attempts to rearm and rebuild infrastructure along the border.
Israel’s Security Cabinet voted 10-1 to approve the deal on Tuesday.
The nearly 14-month conflict began when Hezbollah – the Iranian-backed terror group – sent rockets over Israel's border in solidarity with Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. After a nearly daily back and forth that lasted until the summer, Israel launched a massive bombardment campaign and ground incursion to take out Hezbollah leadership and military infrastructure. Since then, more then 3,600 Lebanese have been killed and 15,000 injured. It has been the deadliest war in Lebanon since its civil war ended in 1990.
Just hours before the ceasefire took effect, Israel bombed areas outside of Lebanon’s capitol of Beirut with one of its most intense bombardments since the escalation of the war a few months ago. Hezbollah also launched a final round of rocket and drone strikes on Israel.
HOW WE GOT HERE
In the past few months, Israel has decimated Hezbollah’s ranks, including killing many of its top leaders. Addressing the public on Tuesday, Netanyahu said that Israel has set Hezbollah back decades by eliminating thousands of terrorists, destroying much of its tunnel system and infrastructure, and destroying most of its missile arsenal.
Though Israel has not completely destroyed the terror group, pressure was intense enough for Hezbollah to give up their initial demands, and finally agree to a ceasefire.
Nearly 2 million people have been displaced on both sides of the border. This agreement hopes to allow them to return home safely.
HOW IT WORKS
The Lebanese military is now responsible for monitoring the border and making sure Hezbollah does not reestablish its presence there. But, it has historically been unwilling or unable to control Hezbollah within its borders. Therefore, in the deal, Israel has the right to act if Hezbollah appears ready to attack.
The terms of the agreement allow Israel to resume strikes on Hezbollah if it violates the ceasefire deal – only after notifying an international oversight committee, and ensuring that Lebanon has not taken care of the threat. The deal does not provide clear guidelines as to the amount of time (if any) Israel would have to wait before striking.
As for Gaza, Biden noted that Hamas has refused for months to negotiate a hostage and ceasefire deal in good faith. However, he said that his administration will continue to work toward one.
US officials have said the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire could effectively send a message to Hamas that they cannot count on a regional war to support them, which could catalyze a deal to end the conflict in Gaza and return more than 100 hostages held there.
Netanyahu said that the end of the war with Lebanon will also allow Israel to “focus on the Iranian threat,” but did not elaborate further.
📌 TRUMP’S NEW TARIFF THREAT ON ADVERSARIES AND ALLIES
Earlier this week, President-elect Donald Trump said he will impose new tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China — the U.S.’s largest trading partners — through an executive order on his first day in office.
In a series of Truth Social posts, where we are getting most Trump administration updates post-election, the soon-to-be president said he plans to enact a 25% tariff on all Canadian and Mexican goods. He also vowed to add a 10% tariff to all products from China – on top of the tariffs already imposed by Trump during his first term.
Trump said the new levies are meant to push all three nations to make stronger efforts to bolster border security and crack down on fentanyl smuggling that has devastated American communities.
Public health experts think opioid deaths have peaked. Via: Reuters.
ART OF THE DEAL
Mo News spoke with CNBC’s Sara Eisen for the Mo News Interview podcast. She says the belief on Wall Street is that tariffs are just Trump’s ‘Art of the Deal’ (his 1987 book) approach to global negotiations and are likely a tactical play.
Trump posted: “Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”
Canada, Mexico and China are the US’s biggest trading partners. On Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded that “neither threats nor tariffs will solve the issue of migration or drug consumption.” She threatened retaliatory tariffs on US goods.
“Rather than panicking, we’re engaging in constructive ways to protect Canadian jobs like we have before,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. “The idea of going to war with the United States isn’t what anyone wants.”
Economists say if the tariffs go into effect, companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs to consumers. That would collide with Trump campaign promises to lower inflation, instead raising prices for food, clothing, cars, and other consumer goods.
So what’s the aim? Trump believes these tariffs will drive countries to negotiate on contentious issues like immigration and drugs.
About 85% of fentanyl seizures happen at official border crossings. China is the dominant source of the chemical Mexican cartels use to produce fentanyl — meaning they will also need to step up efforts to stop the drug from being made and brought into the U.S.
Some of Trump’s tariff threats during his first term led to the expansion of the 'Remain in Mexico' policy in 2019, requiring migrants awaiting immigration proceedings in the US to stay in Mexico in the meantime.
🛒 RETAILERS EXPECT RECORD SHOPPING NUMBERS BETWEEN BLACK FRIDAY & CYBER MONDAY
Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season… followed by Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. This year, Americans are ready to spend big.
BY THE NUMBERS
The National Retail Federation estimates that more than 183 million people will shop between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday. Most of those shoppers – about 132 million – are expected to shop on Black Friday alone, with about 65% of those expected in stores.
Americans will spend an estimated $1,778, on average, across the entire holiday season on gifts, food, and decoration, according to Deloitte's holiday retail forecast. That’s up 8% from 2023. Shoppers are expected to spend 16% more on experiences this year.
SAVE SOME $ FOR SATURDAY
Small businesses (defined as 500 or fewer employees) account for up to 99.9% of all US businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s advocacy office. They employ 61.7 million Americans — nearly half of private sector employees. For every $100 spent at a small business, $48 returns to the local economy.
Mo News put together a guide ahead of #SmallBusinessSaturday that includes hundreds of businesses owned by members of the Mo News community!
Check out the Mo News Small Business Directory.
You can also purchase Mo News Merch for 15% off with the code SAVE15 at checkout. Grab your favorites – sale runs now through the weekend!
🍴LESS CONTROVERSIAL NEWS TOPICS FOR THE THANKSGIVING TABLE
📌 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade 2024: 6 new balloons, range of performers including Kylie Minogue, Temptations (NEWSDAY)
📌 Grandma of 12 sets new world record with 1,575 pushups, he second record (ABC)
📌 Grandma and man she accidentally texted will have Thanksgiving together again (ABC)
📌 Snoop Dog discusses his plans to spend the holiday with his 9-12 grandchildren (PEOPLE)
📌 Two couples in California discover their embryos were mixed-up after their daughters were born, see what they chose to do (NY TIMES)
📌 ‘Moana 2’ box office predicted to beat ‘Wicked’ & ‘Gladiator 2’ openings (YAHOO)
📌 The last mercury retrograde of 2024 is upon us. What it means (USA TODAY)
📌 'Demure' is Dictionary.com's word of the year (NPR)
📌 NASA radar picks up frozen, buried Cold War base Camp Century (POPSCI)
📌 China’s hottest new tourist attraction is 5,000 feet in the air (CNN)
📌 Ocean explorers hoped they photographed Amelia Earhart's plane. Turns out it's a rock (NPR)
📌 Inside the world of competitive ‘tablescaping’ (NY TIMES)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: NOVEMBER 27
1895: The Nobel Prizes were established through Alfred Bernhard Nobel’s will. He was a Swedish chemist and engineer who invented dynamite.
1924: The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in New York City. the huge balloons did not debut until 1927.
1973: The US Senate overwhelmingly voted 92-3 to confirm Gerald R. Ford as vice president, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew, who had just resigned. He would become president in August after Nixon’s resignation.
1981: ‘Don’t You Want Me’ by The Human League was released.
2013: ‘Frozen’ came out in theaters.