US strikes in Syria as Israel-Hezbollah reach truce

The US has hit an Iranian-aligned weapons storage facility in Syria, as Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire. Follow updates.

The US military said it conducted a strike against an unnamed Iranian-aligned group’s weapons storage facility in Syria in response to an attack on American forces a day earlier.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X that the strike aimed to “degrade their ability to plan and launch future attacks on US and Coalition forces who are in the region to conduct D-ISIS operations,” referring to a mission to target the Islamic State group, and said that in its assessment there were no civilian casualties.

CENTCOM Forces Strike Iranian Aligned Target in Syria in Response to Attack on U.S. Personnel pic.twitter.com/w7bbBnLhD8

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 26, 2024

It comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was bringing an outline for a ceasefire in the war on Hezbollah to his ministers who are expected to approve it imminently.

“The length of the ceasefire will depend on what happens in Lebanon,” Mr Netanyahu said in an address televised at 5am AEDT.

“With the full understanding of the United States, we are preserving full military freedom of action — if Hezbollah breaks the agreement and seeks to arm itself, we will attack.”

In bringing the ceasefire to his cabinet, Mr Netanyahu underlined the importance of Hezbollah respecting its terms.

“We will respond mightily to any breach,” he said.

Mr Netanyahu stressed that Israel had set Hezbollah back decades.

“Hezbollah is no longer the same. We set them back decades,” he said.

“We have destroyed many missiles and rockets, we have killed many terrorists.”

People watch Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announce a ceasefire near Martyrs Square, where people sheltered as Israeli battered central Beirut. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Netanyahu said he had three main reasons for backing the deal.

They are so that the Israeli Defence Force can focus on Iran – a point he said he would not be elaborating on; to give his military time to restock and to isolate Hamas.

The Iranian regime backs Hezbollah, which is operating out of Lebanon.

Israel’s Channel 12 News reports the ceasefire, which will be overseen by a US-led international body, details prohibited actions by Hezbollah on the Israeli border but it doesn’t include an explicit reference to what happens in Hezbollah violates its terms north of Lebanon’s Litani River.

If the ceasefire is alleged to have been breached, the international body will convene to discuss the violation.

US President Joe Biden claimed credit for brokering the ceasefire and said it was “designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities”.

“What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organisations will not be allowed,” he said of the Iran-backed terrorist group in Lebanon.

“Over the next 60 days, the Lebanese army and state security forces will deploy and take control of their own territory.”

“Once again, Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure and southern Lebanon will not be allowed to be rebuilt and over the next 60 days, Israel will gradually withdraw its remaining forces and civilians.”

The president said he hoped the deal would also be a prelude to a ceasefire in Gaza, saying he would again push to negotiate an agreement between Hamas and Israel.

“Just as the Lebanese people deserve a future of security and prosperity, so do the people of Gaza,” Mr Biden said at the White House.

US President Joe Biden crosses his fingers as he answers a question about a Gaza ceasefire after speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House. Picture: AFP

“Now Hamas has a choice to make. Their only way out is to release hostages including American citizens which they hold, and in the process bring an end to the fighting, which would make possible a surge of humanitarian relief.”

The deal was brokered with the assistance of the Americans and French.

CBS News reported that President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has been briefed on the details of the truce.

It comes amid a day of intense Israeli air strikes on central Beirut which were preceded by evacuation warnings for civilians.

Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid immediately slammed Mr Netanyahu saying the government was “dragged into the agreement with Hezbollah”.

“Meanwhile, northern communities were destroyed, the lives of the residents were destroyed, the army has been worn down while you’re advancing evasion laws,” Mr Lapid said in a statement talking about the legislation to exempt ultra-Orthodox men from conscription.

Lapid says that the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and aerial campaign against

“Under Netanyahu’s watch, the greatest disaster happened in our history, no deal with Hezbollah will erase the abandonments. No statement to the press will change history,” Mr Lapid added.

Originally published as US strikes in Syria as Israel-Hezbollah reach truce