Israeli teams convened to discuss the U.S. ceasefire proposals with Lebanon and plan to continue their discussions in the coming days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated, expressing gratitude for the U.S. efforts.
Netanyahu made these remarks following Israel’s rejection of an allied proposal for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, reaffirming a commitment to combat Hezbollah militants “until victory” is achieved.
“Our teams met (yesterday) to deliberate the U.S. initiative and explore ways to advance our mutual goal of ensuring the safe return of individuals to their homes. We will proceed with these discussions in the days ahead,” he mentioned in the statement.
The Israeli airstrikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah strongholds across Lebanon this week have resulted in hundreds of casualties while the militant group has responded with extensive rocket attacks.
On the same day Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared that there would be no ceasefire in the north, where Israeli aircraft have been conducting the most intense bombardments against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah for decades.
After Netanyahu departed for New York yesterday, his office released a statement confirming that the prime minister had ordered Israeli troops to continue their full-force operations in Lebanon.
Netanyahu’s statement did not address the remarks made by Katz and other Israeli officials who also dismissed a ceasefire. Instead, it noted that there has been “a lot of misreporting surrounding the U.S.-led ceasefire initiative.”
“Israel aligns with the objectives of the U.S.-led initiative to facilitate the safe and secure return of people living near our northern border,” the statement added.
“Israel values the efforts of the United States in this regard, acknowledging that U.S. involvement is crucial in promoting stability and security in the region,” the statement concluded.
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu categorically was dismissed the ceasefire proposal.
The United States expressed dissatisfaction with the rejection of the ceasefire by indicating that substantial effort had gone into crafting the truce proposal.
“We wouldn’t have made that statement, nor would we have worked on this initiative if we didn’t believe that our conversations with the Israelis were aligning with the goal,” National Security spokesman John Kirby remarked in a statement.
French President Macron later described it as a “mistake” for Netanyahu to decline a ceasefire, asserting that he would have to take “responsibility” for any regional escalation.
During a meeting in Canada with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—who also supported the ceasefire—Macron pointed out that the ceasefire plan had been developed with Netanyahu’s input.
‘Intolerable’
The joint statement addressing the ceasefire highlighted that the situation in Lebanon had become “intolerable” and was detrimental to both the people of Israel and Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli bombardments had resulted in 92 deaths and 153 injuries in the country over the past 24 hours.
Since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in October, over 1,500 individuals have lost their lives, with Thursday’s figures pushing the total number of fatalities in Israeli strikes on Lebanon in just the past week beyond 700.
Approximately 118,000 individuals have been displaced by the ongoing conflict in Lebanon over the last week.
According to the International Organisation for Migration, around 118,000 people have been forced from their homes due to the fighting in Lebanon in the past week.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israel’s strategic affairs minister in New York, emphasizing that a ceasefire would “enable civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes.”
“Any further escalation of the conflict will only complicate that goal,” spokesman Matthew Miller stated.
Meanwhile, the Israeli defense ministry announced a new $8.7 billion aid package from the United States aimed at supporting ongoing military operations, demonstrating the U.S.’s reluctance to condition military assistance on a ceasefire agreement.
Yemen missile
Israel’s continuous bombardments in Lebanon have sparked fears of a possible widespread regional war in the Middle East.
This month, Israel has indicated a shift in focus from Gaza, where it has been engaged in conflict with Hamas since the attack on October 7, to its northern border with Lebanon.
Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, has instructed troops to prepare for a potential ground offensive, according to a military statement.
The Israeli military reported that it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen.
Israel’s ongoing operations in Lebanon have heightened concerns of a comprehensive regional conflict.
The head of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, stated in a televised address that his Iran-backed group would “not hesitate to support Lebanon and Hezbollah.”
Since November, the Houthis have initiated drone and missile attacks targeting Red Sea shipping, claiming these actions express solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza conflict, which erupted after Hamas’s October 7 assault on Israel.
Gaza key
Diplomats have suggested that resolving the war in Gaza is crucial to stopping the fighting in Lebanon.
However, despite significant mediation efforts from the United States, a ceasefire in Gaza remains elusive.
At the UN General Assembly in New York, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud announced a new international coalition aimed at pursuing a two-state solution in Gaza.
The attack by Hamas in October resulted in 1,205 fatalities, predominantly among civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official data, which includes those taken hostage and later killed.
Of the 251 hostages taken by militants, 97 are still believed to be held in Gaza, with the Israeli military reporting that 33 of them are deceased.
The military response from Israel has resulted in over 41,500 deaths in Gaza, most of whom are civilians, as reported by the health ministry in the Hamas-run region. The United Nations has deemed these figures credible.
