 "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Reuters")
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied the existence of any ceasefire Israel and Hezbollah.
Instead, Netanyahu said he has instructed the Israeli military to continue fighting the Iran-backed and Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah “with full force”.
Netanyahu’s rejection of any ongoing ceasefire efforts with Hezbollah comes after the United States and France floated a ceasefire proposal to contain the escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah. There were reports that a 21-day ceasefire in line with the proposal was imminent.
Rejecting such reports, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) said that Netanyahu has not even responded to the proposal.
“The news about a ceasefire — not true. This is an American-French proposal to which the Prime Minister did not even respond,” said the Israeli PMO.
One official told the newspaper that diplomats had conversations with both the Israeli and Lebanese governments and were hopeful they would accept the proposal for a cease-fire in “the coming hours”.
Now, Netanyahu has not just rejected the peace proposal, but has vowed to continue attacking Hezbollah. He also refused reports that he has asked the military to tone down the assaults.
“The news about the supposed directive to moderate the fighting in the north is also the opposite of the truth. The Prime Minister instructed the IDF to continue the fighting with full force, and according to the plans presented to him. Also, the fighting in Gaza will continue until all the goals of the war are achieved,” said Netanyahu.
Previously, The New York Times had reported officials as saying that Israel had reacted positively in discussions over the past two days for a 21-day ceasefire with Hezbollah. The newspaper reported that the proposal was endorsed by Australia, Canada, the European Union (EU), Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
While endorsing the US-French ceasefire proposal, the leaders of the grouping said the proposed ceasefire would allow diplomatic efforts to succeed and “enable civilians to return to their homes”.
The ceasefire proposal, announced after tense discussions at the United Nations on Wednesday, focuses on the ‘Blue Line’, the demarcation between Israel and Lebanon, with hopes of diffusing tensions and paving the way for a potential resolution.
Hezbollah has clashed with Israel on a near-daily basis since the October 7 attack of Hamas. The fighting along Israel’s northern region at the border with Lebanon has led to the displacement of several thousands of people. Over the past week, the fighting has intensified to the extent that now there are fears that the two sides may enter into a full-scale war that may destabilise the region further.
Following the targeted attacks on Hezbollah’s handheld communication devices, Israel has carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon on a near-daily basis. Earlier this week, Israel struck 1,600 Hezbollah targets in a single day in the most intensive strike since the Israel-Hezbollah War of 2006.
Netanyahu’s rejection comes after Israeli outlet Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu has ordered Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to lower the intensity of their attacks in Lebanon amid an international push for a ceasefire in the fighting. Another report by Channel 12 quoted officials at Netanyahu’s office saying that there is “greenlight for ceasefire” with Hezbollah.
Even as Netanyahu has rejected the proposed ceasefire, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire proposal, though he emphasised the need for Israel to adhere to international resolutions to ensure the ceasefire’s success.
“Hopefully, yes,” Reuters quoted Mikati as saying when he was asked if a ceasefire was likely soon.