Arsal 24-Hour Ceasefire Agreement

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Country/entity: Lebanon
Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Arsal 24-Hour Ceasefire Agreement
Date: 5 Aug 2014
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/local conflict
Syrian Conflicts (1948 - ) (1976 - 2005) (2011 - )
The agreements relate to three different conflict contexts. Israel-Syria and Syria-Lebanon. The Syrian-Israeli conflict was a key factor for the Syrian intervention during the Lebanese Civil War, with Syrian-backed Palestinian Liberation Army units intervened in 1976 against the Palestinian/Leftist militias. Following a massacre at Tel al-Zaatar that year, Syria was forced to accept a ceasefire at a meeting of the Arab League. However, the Arab League also mandated an Arab Deterrence Force, consisting of mostly Syrian soldiers with token contributions from other Arab League states, thus further legitimizing the Syrian presence in Lebanon. During a second bout of fighting that began in 1989, caused by the formation of rival Lebanese regimes in East and West Beirut, the Syrian-backed regime won and in 1991 the ‘Treaty of Brotherhood, Cooperation and Coordination’ was signed to legalize the Syrian occupation as a means to ensure the security of Syria. Syrian forces were forced to withdraw in 2005 following possible involvement in the assassination of Lebanon’s President Hariri.

Syria-internal. In 2011, domestic upheaval following a wave of protests across the Arab World soon led to violent repression of protestors by Syrian government troops. The violence progressed steadily and by July 2011 the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was formed consisting of defected military units and new recruits. The FSA and rebel umbrella group known as the Syrian National Council represented the first attempt at coordinating rebel factions in late 2011. However, a steady influx of foreign fighters and increased sectarianism radicalised opposition groups, which relied on foreign funding. The nature of the conflict changed drastically in late 2013 as infighting among the opposition groups increased. One of the more significant developments was the split between the al-Qaeda outfits the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS), and Jabhat al-Nusra in early 2014 in addition to the intensified targeting of other rebel factions by ISIS fighters in particular, including the Kurdish Peshmerga, the FSA and other jihadist outfits. Since the summer of 2014, the conflict was further internationalized when ISIS announced the formation of an Islamic state eroding the state line between Iraq and Syria and also in mid-2015 when Russian forces intervened on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad government in Damascus.
Stage: Ceasefire/related
Conflict nature: Government
Peace process: Syrian Local Agreements
Parties: Syrian rebels (Islamist), Lebanese Armed Forces
Third parties: -
Description: A 24-hour humanitarian ceasefire following fighting between Syrian factions and Lebanese Armed Forces allowing for the evacuation of civilians and wounded. Implementation managed by a joint committee of 'Syrian jurists' and Arsal inhabitants. Ceasefire broken in less than 24 hours.

Agreement document: LB_SY_140805_Arsal Ceasefire_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): LB_SY_140805_Arsal Ceasefire_AR.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Main category: Page 1,
4. The wounded will be transported [out] and civilians are permitted to leave, particularly women and children. Under the supervision of the Arsal Committee, doctors will be brought in to treat those who cannot be moved,.

Women, girls and gender

Participation: No specific mention.
Equality: No specific mention.
Particular groups of women: No specific mention.
International law: No specific mention.
New institutions: No specific mention.
Violence against women: Violence against women→Protection (general)
Page 1,
4. The wounded will be transported [out] and civilians are permitted to leave, particularly women and children. Under the supervision of the Arsal Committee, doctors will be brought in to treat those who cannot be moved,.
Transitional justice: No specific mention.
Institutional reform: No specific mention.
Development: No specific mention.
Implementation: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Arsal 24-Hour Ceasefire Agreement

5 August 2014

1. Form a Committee consisting of the people of Arsal [ʿArsāl] and some Syrian jurists to manage Arsal, stay updated on the security situation and ensure the implementation of this initiative under the supervision of the Lebanese Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (LIFE) and the Muslim Scholars Association.

2. All warring parties are obliged to withdraw from Arsal and hand over the area to the Committee.

3. As a gesture of goodwill, the fighters will release three Lebanese soldiers in return for the entry of media bodies and humanitarian relief organisations.

4. The wounded will be transported [out] and civilians are permitted to leave, particularly women and children.

Under the supervision of the Arsal Committee, doctors will be brought in to treat those who cannot be moved,.

5. Permit the delivery of food, medical and humanitarian aid to the town of Arsal.