Israel on Thursday ruled out a ceasefire proposal with Hezbollah in Lebanon, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office calling the news about truce “false”, while asserting that this was an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister has not even responded.
It said that, on the contrary, “the prime minister instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to continue the fighting with full force”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz also rejected the proposal, which called for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon.
Katz made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organization with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.”
Over 600 people have been killed and thousands wounded in Lebanon since Israel began an intense bombing campaign last week.
Netanyahu, preparing to address the United National General Assembly, also issued a statement Thursday saying he had ordered the military to maintain full-force operations as planned. Shortly after, the Israeli military launched a new wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
The ceasefire request from the US and France, along with other allies, aims to create a 21-day pause along the Israel-Lebanon “Blue Line” to allow room for diplomatic negotiations. However, Israel has continued its heaviest airstrikes on Lebanon since the 2006 war, killing hundreds as cross-border violence with Hezbollah threatens to escalate into an all-out war.
Hezbollah has fired hundreds of missiles into Israel, including at Tel Aviv, though Israel’s aerial defense system has managed to limit the damage. On Wednesday, Israel’s army chief hinted at the possibility of a ground assault on Lebanon, urging troops near the border to prepare. It remains unclear if this was a tactical move to pressure Hezbollah or a precursor to further military action.
Earlier, on Wednesday, speaking in an interview on ABC’s The View’, US President Joe Biden had warned of the possibility of an “all-out war” in the Middle East, though he expressed hope for finding a path to prevent further violence.
Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire since October 7, the day after Hamas launched its initial attack on southern Israeli communities.
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