Israel rejects Lebanon ceasefire proposal, vows to fight Hezbollah ‘until victory’
Israel continues to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after the US and allies pushed for a truce plan at the UN
Israel on Thursday rejected a push led by its key backer the United States for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, vowing to keep fighting Hezbollah militants “until victory”.
Israeli bombing of Iran-backed Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon has killed hundreds of people this week, while the militant group has retaliated with rocket barrages.
“There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had “not even responded” to the truce proposal, and that he had ordered the military “to continue the fighting with full force”.
The United States, France and other allies called for a 21-day halt, after President Joe Biden and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The situation in Lebanon has become “intolerable” and “is in nobody’s interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon”, their joint statement said.