The decision was unanimously in favor, except for Transportation Minister Sha'ul Mofaz, who abstained. Mofaz served as IDF Chief of Staff and Defense Minister in the years between 1998 and 2006.
Lebanon, too, was quick to accept the agreement, known as UN Resolution 1701.
The ceasefire has already faced much domestic criticism in Israel. It does not meet the two stated objectives of Israel's offensive in Lebanon: The release of the kidnapped soldiers and the disarming of Hizbullah.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz met this morning with the parents of the two Hizbullah-kidnapped soldiers - Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev - and briefed them on the agreement. "Israel will do everything it can to cause the boys to return home quickly," Olmert said afterwards, "and of course also Gilad Shalit [the soldier who was kidnapped seven weeks ago by Hamas and is being held in Gaza].
The resolution calls for an immediate halt to Hizbullah attacks and Israeli "offensive military action." It further calls for the deployment of Lebanese Army forces in southern Lebanon together with UNIFIL forces. The resolution also calls upon the international community to extend financial and humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, though it makes no mention of the damages suffered by Israel.
Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office stated that Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon until the international force is in place.
Other points covered by the resolution include strengthening the UNIFIL force, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and a call for a ban on sale or supply of arms to entities or individuals in Lebanon. It calls for the disarming of "all armed groups in Lebanon," but does not specify how this should be done.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz said Saturday night, "The UN decision must be translated into implementation, and we are far from that. There is still much time before Monday morning [when the ceasefire is to take effect], and things can happen; nothing is closed or finished."
Defense Minister Peretz met earlier today with Javier Solana of the European Union. Asked beforehand about the omission of a clear demand for Hizbullah's release of the two soldiers, Peretz said, "I plan to turn to him [Solana] so that his actions and those of the international community on behalf of returning the kidnapped soldiers will be implemented quickly."
Olmert said that the proposed ceasefire agreement will "create better conditions" under which to obtain the release of the kidnapped soldiers. He said he plans to appoint a person to head a task force that will deal only with that matter.
Peretz said that the main issue at hand is how Hizbullah will implement it. "We are prepared for every possible response," Peretz said, "whether they honor the agreement or not."
Several government ministers are not happy with the ceasefire. Minister Rafi Eitan (Retirees Party) said it's the "least of all evils." He noted optimistically signs of a rift between Iran and Hizbullah, in that Iran feels Hizbullah did not deliver the goods in its war against Israel.
Negative Reactions
Former three-time Defense Minister Moshe Arens' reaction: "if we have not succeeded in stopping the Katyushas, we have lost. And according to the Security Council resolution, in the current situation the State of Israel comes out humiliated. We are essentially giving Hizbullah and our enemies a shot of encouragement for another offensive against us."
Lt.-Col. (res.) Meir Indor, Director of the Almagor Terror Victims Association, is sharply critical of the ceasefire agreement. He said it does not answer two basic questions: "Will Hizbullah be disarmed, and will the abducted soldiers be released unconditionally?"
Indor says that the presence of an international peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon will not help at all: "The value of foreigners' promises to safeguard our security can be gauged by seeing how the recent American-European arrangements for the Philadelphi Route [in southern Gaza] collapsed when the Palestinians turned it into a route for smuggling missiles and weapons into Gaza while those who initiated and supervise the agreement are silent."
Lebanon, too, was quick to accept the agreement, known as UN Resolution 1701.
The ceasefire has already faced much domestic criticism in Israel. It does not meet the two stated objectives of Israel's offensive in Lebanon: The release of the kidnapped soldiers and the disarming of Hizbullah.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz met this morning with the parents of the two Hizbullah-kidnapped soldiers - Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev - and briefed them on the agreement. "Israel will do everything it can to cause the boys to return home quickly," Olmert said afterwards, "and of course also Gilad Shalit [the soldier who was kidnapped seven weeks ago by Hamas and is being held in Gaza].
The resolution calls for an immediate halt to Hizbullah attacks and Israeli "offensive military action." It further calls for the deployment of Lebanese Army forces in southern Lebanon together with UNIFIL forces. The resolution also calls upon the international community to extend financial and humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, though it makes no mention of the damages suffered by Israel.
Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office stated that Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon until the international force is in place.
Other points covered by the resolution include strengthening the UNIFIL force, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and a call for a ban on sale or supply of arms to entities or individuals in Lebanon. It calls for the disarming of "all armed groups in Lebanon," but does not specify how this should be done.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz said Saturday night, "The UN decision must be translated into implementation, and we are far from that. There is still much time before Monday morning [when the ceasefire is to take effect], and things can happen; nothing is closed or finished."
Defense Minister Peretz met earlier today with Javier Solana of the European Union. Asked beforehand about the omission of a clear demand for Hizbullah's release of the two soldiers, Peretz said, "I plan to turn to him [Solana] so that his actions and those of the international community on behalf of returning the kidnapped soldiers will be implemented quickly."
Olmert said that the proposed ceasefire agreement will "create better conditions" under which to obtain the release of the kidnapped soldiers. He said he plans to appoint a person to head a task force that will deal only with that matter.
Peretz said that the main issue at hand is how Hizbullah will implement it. "We are prepared for every possible response," Peretz said, "whether they honor the agreement or not."
Several government ministers are not happy with the ceasefire. Minister Rafi Eitan (Retirees Party) said it's the "least of all evils." He noted optimistically signs of a rift between Iran and Hizbullah, in that Iran feels Hizbullah did not deliver the goods in its war against Israel.
Negative Reactions
Former three-time Defense Minister Moshe Arens' reaction: "if we have not succeeded in stopping the Katyushas, we have lost. And according to the Security Council resolution, in the current situation the State of Israel comes out humiliated. We are essentially giving Hizbullah and our enemies a shot of encouragement for another offensive against us."
Lt.-Col. (res.) Meir Indor, Director of the Almagor Terror Victims Association, is sharply critical of the ceasefire agreement. He said it does not answer two basic questions: "Will Hizbullah be disarmed, and will the abducted soldiers be released unconditionally?"
Indor says that the presence of an international peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon will not help at all: "The value of foreigners' promises to safeguard our security can be gauged by seeing how the recent American-European arrangements for the Philadelphi Route [in southern Gaza] collapsed when the Palestinians turned it into a route for smuggling missiles and weapons into Gaza while those who initiated and supervise the agreement are silent."