 "Smoke rises over southern Lebanon, as seen from a farm in Metula, Israel, December 1, 2024. File Image/Reuters")
US State Secretary Antony Blinken on Wednesday said that the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire is “holding” despite attacks from both warring sides.
“The ceasefire is holding, and we’re using the mechanism that was established when any concerns have arisen about any alleged or purported violations,” Blinken told journalists on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels.
Both Israel and Hezbollah have been accusing each other of breaching the US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect last week.
“I think fundamentally, both parties, that is to say, Israel and Hezbollah, through the Lebanese government, wanted and continue to want the cease-fire,” said Blinken.
“But we have to make sure that it’s upheld. And we’re determined to do that,” he added.
Israel threatens to ‘go deeper’
As Israel and Hezbollah continue to strike each other in a tit-for-tat move, the country’s defence minister on Tuesday said that the army would target the Lebanese state if the truce deal falls apart.
“If we return to war, we will act with strength, go deeper,” Israel Katz said.
If the ceasefire were to be breached, “there will no longer be any exemptions for the State of Lebanon. If until now we separated the State of Lebanon from Hezbollah – and the entirety of Beirut from Dahiyeh, which took very hard hits – this will no longer be the case,” Katz added.
Israel-Hezbollah launch attack
Earlier this week, Israel launched airstrikes in Lebanon killing 10 people, making it the first biggest attack since the two sides reached a ceasefire.
The attack was in retaliation to Hezbollah’s mortar strike at an Israeli army base that the terrorist group said was a warning to Israel’s “repeated violations.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsA committee including France, UN peacekeepers, Israel, Lebanon and chaired by the United States is tasked with maintaining communication between the various parties and ensuring violations are identified and dealt with to avoid any escalation.
“The mechanism that we established with France to make sure that the ceasefire is effectively monitored and implemented is working, and we want to make sure it continues to work,” Blinken said.
“If there are concerns that one party or the other is violating the ceasefire, it comes to us, and one way or another, we engage the parties. That’s exactly what’s happened,” he added.
With inputs from AFP