Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​First step: On the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire

​First step: On the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire

Without further measures (उपाय, कदम), Israel’s ceasefire (युद्धविराम, संघर्ष विराम) with Hezbollah will not hold

When Hezbollah decided to start firing rockets into Israel in October 2023 after the Israel-Hamas war broke out, “in solidarity (एकजुटता) with the Palestinians”, the then chief of the Shia militant (उग्रवादी, कट्टरपंथी) group, Hassan Nasrallah, said he would cease (रोकना, समाप्त करना) fire only if Israel ceased fire in Gaza. When Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to send ground troops (सैनिक, सेना) into Lebanon on October 1, 2024 — Israel’s fourth invasion (आक्रमण, हमला) — he said the main objective (उद्देश्य, लक्ष्य) was for the over 50,000 residents of northern Israel, displaced (विस्थापित करना) by Hezbollah rockets, to return to their homes. In less than two months, Hezbollah and Israel have climbed down from their maximalist (अधिकतमवादी, अतिवादी) positions and agreed to a U.S. and France-mediated (मध्यस्थता करना, सुलह कराना) ceasefire. According to the agreement, all Israeli troops would withdraw (वापस लेना, पीछे हटना) from Lebanon to the Israeli side of the border, while Hezbollah would redeploy (पुनः तैनात करना) its forces to the north of the Litani river. The Lebanese army would be deployed in areas between the Israeli border and the Litani and entrusted (सौंपना, जिम्मेदारी देना) with enforcing the ceasefire. Both sides have claimed (दावा) victory. Israel says Hezbollah is not the same organisation it used to be, while Hezbollah claimed that it had taken a “divine victory” against the Israelis. The reality is that both have suffered (experience, undergo, be subjected to, go through, encounter, face) setbacks and wanted a break (relief, relaxation, repose, respite, pause, rest, interval; stoppage, cessation, discontinuation).

Hezbollah lost many fighters and top commanders, including Nasrallah. Hezbollah strongholds (bastion, bulwark; fortress, fort; support, protection, mainstay) in Lebanon, including the border villages and the Dahiye, the southern Shia (relating to Shia branch/sect of Islam) neighbourhood ((surrounding) area, region, district/country) of Beirut (the capital of Lebanon), were pulverised (defeat utterly, annihilate, crush/vanquish) by Israel. Israel’s failures were starker. True, Israel possesses higher air superiority (supremacy, dominance, advantage, edge) which it used to weaken Hezbollah’s capabilities. But it did not make many territorial advances (progress, headway, forward movement) in southern Lebanon. It faced stiff (rigid, firm, inflexible, ungiving) resistance (opposition, refusal to accept, disinclination to accept, confrontation, defiance) from Hezbollah and took high casualties (victim, fatality, mortality, loss, death). Worse, Israel’s bombings had little impact on Hezbollah’s capability ((military) forces, resources) to fire rockets. On November 24, Hezbollah fired over 250 rockets into Israel. Some hit (attack, strike (a target)) high security zones, including a residence of Mr. Netanyahu. According to a Channel 13 poll, most Israelis believe that Hezbollah has not been defeated. So, given (considering, taking into account, bearing in mind) their setbacks (problem, difficulty, blow, issue, impediment, hindrance, obstruction), it is unsurprising (predictable, foreseeable, predicted, plausible, obvious) that both sides have given up (abandon, renounce, forgo, discontinue, desist from) their original demands and settled for a ceasefire. While it is good news for West Asia, it could be short-lived (temporary, short-term, brief, momentary, transitory) if further measures are not taken. Israel and Hezbollah could rearm (to provide/equip/furnish with new weapons) and refresh themselves before returning to fighting if Israel’s disproportionate (unfair, inordinate, excessive, immoderate, undue, unreasonable, unjustifiable) war on Gaza (a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip is a self-governing Palestinian territory surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Egypt) continues. The U.S., which played a constructive role in the Lebanon ceasefire, should build on (develop, expand on) the momentum (the increase in the rate of growth of something; strength, impetus) and push for a ceasefire in Gaza. U.S. President Joe Biden has less than two months in office, which he should use to correct a policy that gave unconditional (unquestioning, unrestricted, unequivocal, outright) support for Israel’s war on Gaza and use America’s leverage (influence, power, sway, control, dominance, clout, say) over its ally (a country/state with an alliance with another one in which they promise to support each other militarily and to defend each other) to bring some relief to millions of Palestinians living under constant Israeli bombardment (bombing, shelling (continuous attack)).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.ceasefire (noun)

Hindi Meaning - युद्धविराम, संघर्ष विराम
English Meaning - a negotiated agreement that will be accompanied by other associated commitments to de-escalate the fighting; a temporary stoppage of war, truce, armistice.

2.measure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपाय, कदम
English Meaning - course of action, proceeding, procedure, step.

3.solidarity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - एकजुटता
English Meaning - mutual support, unity, unanimity, harmony, cohesion, cooperation.

4.militant (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - उग्रवादी, कट्टरपंथी
English Meaning - radical, fanatic, extremist, fundamentalist, sectarian, partisan.

5.cease (verb)

Hindi Meaning - रोकना, समाप्त करना
English Meaning - end, halt, stop.

6.troops (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सैनिक, सेना
English Meaning - forces; armed forces, soldiers.

7.invasion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आक्रमण, हमला
English Meaning - attack, offensive, onslaught, incursion, assault.

8.objective (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उद्देश्य, लक्ष्य
English Meaning - target, intention, purpose, goal/aim.

9.displace (verb)

Hindi Meaning - विस्थापित करना
English Meaning - force someone to leave his/her home, usually due to war, persecution, or natural disaster; banish, exile, deport, evict, expel, oust.

10.maximalist (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अधिकतमवादी, अतिवादी
English Meaning - relating to an approach of a person/organization (particularly in politics) with extreme thoughts and not ready to compromise.

11.mediate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मध्यस्थता करना, सुलह कराना
English Meaning - negotiate, conciliate, intervene, act as peacemaker.

12.withdraw (verb)

Hindi Meaning - वापस लेना, पीछे हटना
English Meaning - pull out, pull back, retreat, leave.

13.redeploy (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पुनः तैनात करना
English Meaning - to withdraw from a particular position/task and to assign new position/task to forces/troops.

14.entrust (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सौंपना, जिम्मेदारी देना
English Meaning - give responsibility for, bestow on, confer on, vest in, grant, hand over.

15.claim (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दावा
English Meaning - assert, state, declare, argue, insist, affirm.

16.Hezbollah (noun)

English Meaning - Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim political party and militant group based in Lebanon, where its extensive security apparatus, political organization, and social services network have fostered its reputation as “a state within a state.” Founded in the chaos of the fifteen-year Lebanese Civil War, the Iran-backed group is driven by its opposition to Israel and its resistance to Western influence in the Middle East.

17.hold verb)

English Meaning - exist, continue, stay, remain in force, hold good.

18.break out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - flare up, begin suddenly, start suddenly, erupt, burst out.

19.Shia (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to Shia branch/sect of Islam.

20.Gaza (noun)

English Meaning - a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip is a self-governing Palestinian territory surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Egypt.

21.climb down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - give in/up, back down, backtrack, back pedal, submit, do a U-turn.

22.suffer (verb)

English Meaning - experience, undergo, be subjected to, go through, encounter, face.

23.setback (noun)

English Meaning - problem, difficulty, blow, issue, impediment, hindrance, obstruction.

24.break (noun)

English Meaning - relief, relaxation, repose, respite, pause, rest, interval; stoppage, cessation, discontinuation.

25.stronghold (noun)

English Meaning - bastion, bulwark; fortress, fort; support, protection, mainstay.

26.neighbourhood (noun)

English Meaning - (surrounding) area, region, district/country.

27.Beirut (proper noun)

English Meaning - the capital of Lebanon.

28.pulverise (verb)

English Meaning - defeat utterly, annihilate, crush/vanquish.

29.starker comparative adjective of stark (adjective)

English Meaning - distinct, obvious, evident, clear, clear-cut, striking.

30.superiority (noun)

English Meaning - supremacy, dominance, advantage, edge.

31.capability (noun)

English Meaning - (military) forces, resources.

32.advance (noun)

English Meaning - progress, headway, forward movement.

33.stiff (adjective)

English Meaning - rigid, firm, inflexible, ungiving.

34.resistance (noun)

English Meaning - opposition, refusal to accept, disinclination to accept, confrontation, defiance.

35.casualty (noun)

English Meaning - victim, fatality, mortality, loss, death.

36.hit (verb)

English Meaning - attack, strike (a target).

37.given (preposition)

English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

38.unsurprising (adjective)

English Meaning - predictable, foreseeable, predicted, plausible, obvious.

39.give up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - abandon, renounce, forgo, discontinue, desist from.

40.short-lived (adjective)

English Meaning - temporary, short-term, brief, momentary, transitory.

41.rearm (verb)

English Meaning - to provide/equip/furnish with new weapons.

42.disproportionate (adjective)

English Meaning - unfair, inordinate, excessive, immoderate, undue, unreasonable, unjustifiable.

43.play a role or play a part (phrase)

English Meaning - contribute to, be instrumental in, be a factor in.

44.build on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - develop, expand on.

45.momentum (noun)

English Meaning - the increase in the rate of growth of something; strength, impetus.

46.unconditional (adjective)

English Meaning - unquestioning, unrestricted, unequivocal, outright.

47.leverage (noun)

English Meaning - influence, power, sway, control, dominance, clout, say.

48.ally (noun)

English Meaning - a country/state with an alliance with another one in which they promise to support each other militarily and to defend each other.

49.bombardment (noun)

English Meaning - bombing, shelling (continuous attack).