Israel’s FM dismissed proposals for a truce following a plea from US and France
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz dismissed suggestions for a truce with Hezbollah following a plea from the United States and France for a 21-day pause in the conflict in Lebanon, which has resulted in numerous casualties and concerns about a potential ground assault.
“A ceasefire is not going to happen in the northern region. We will keep fighting against the Hezbollah terrorist group with full force until we achieve success and ensure the safe return of the northern residents to their houses,” Katz said in a statement on the social media platform X.
The remarks shattered expectations of a quick, peaceful resolution, following Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s optimism for an imminent ceasefire in Lebanon, where hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals are seeking refuge.
Also read: 50 children among 558 killed in deadly Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon
Fears of a Israeli ground attack along the Lebanon-Israel border arise
Fears have been heightened by the recent intense clashes between Israel and the Iran-supported Hezbollah, which are the most severe in almost twenty years, regarding a potential new Israeli ground attack along the border between Lebanon and Israel.
Hezbollah has been in conflict with the Israeli military ever since the Shi’ite Muslim organization was established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982 in response to an Israeli invasion of Lebanon. It has transformed into the most influential proxy of Tehran in the Middle East.
Also read: Israel issues evacuation warning to Labanese citizens as it continues airstrikes on Hezbollah targets
US, France urge a 21-day ceasefire; express backing for a Gaza ceasefire after discussions at UN
The US, France, and other allies urged a 21-day ceasefire along the Israel-Lebanon border and expressed backing for a Gaza ceasefire after discussions at the UN on Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he had not yet provided his answer to the ceasefire proposal as he headed to New York to speak at the United Nations, but had directed the military to continue fighting. In his government, hardliners insisted that Israel must refuse any ceasefire and continue attacking Hezbollah.
The Israeli military reported that approximately 75 Hezbollah targets in the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon were struck by Israeli airstrikes overnight, including weaponry storage areas and launchers ready for use.
In the latest deadly strike, at least 23 Syrians, most of them women and children, were killed when Israel hit a three-story building in the Lebanese town of Younine overnight, the town’s mayor, Ali Qusas, told Reuters. Lebanon is home to around 1.5 million Syrians who fled civil war there.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters before a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday that Israel would welcome a ceasefire and preferred a diplomatic solution. He then told the Security Council that Iran was the nexus of violence in the region and peace required dismantling the threat.
World leaders voiced concern that the conflict – running in parallel to Israel’s war in Gaza – was escalating rapidly.
