Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he has not yet responded to a proposed ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, as right-wing voices in his coalition grow increasingly vocal against the proposal.
Netanyahu said in a statement that he “instructed the army to continue fighting with full force,” adding that “the news about a ceasefire is incorrect.”
He continued: “The news circulating about the so-called directive to calm the fighting in the north is also the opposite of the truth. The fighting in Gaza will continue until all the war’s goals are achieved.
Prime Minister’s Office:
“The news about a ceasefire is not true. This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond.
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…
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) September 26, 2024
This comes at a time when Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, confirmed that “there will be no ceasefire in the north, and we will continue to fight against Hezbollah.”
What do we know about the ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hezbollah?
The United States, the European Union and a number of Western and Arab countries issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah, in an attempt to prevent the conflict from expanding into a full-scale war.
The Israeli Finance Minister, the far-right Bezalel Smotrich, also believed that the war in the north would only end with “destroying Hezbollah and depriving it of its ability to threaten the residents of the north.”
He continued: “The enemy must not be given time to recover from the heavy blows it received or to prepare to continue the war after 21 days have passed. Either Hezbollah surrenders or war, only in this way can we restore security to the residents of the north and to the state.”
In the same context, Minister of Settlement and National Missions, Orit Struck, stressed that “there is no moral mandate for a ceasefire, whether for 21 days, or even for 21 hours.”
She considered that “Hezbollah turned Lebanon into a powder keg, and Resolution 1701 made the people of the north hostages and displaced in their own land. We should not repeat the mistakes of the past, and we will not stop until we fix the situation.”
As for the Otzma Yehudit party, led by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, it said that “against the backdrop of reports about negotiations for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, the party’s parliamentary bloc will hold an urgent meeting in the coming hours.”
From the Likud Party, Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar considered that “a ceasefire without Hezbollah making any tangible concessions is a grave mistake that threatens the major military achievements that Israel has made in recent days.”
Mixed reactions in Israel regarding the proposed truce with Hezbollah
Reactions within Israel varied regarding a proposal for a ceasefire between the Israeli army and Hezbollah militias, which was presented by US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, following the recent escalation that claimed the lives of hundreds of people in Lebanon.
He added: “I strongly hope that the reports are incorrect, and we must continue with all our strength until a clear decision is achieved in the north.”
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said he supported a ceasefire, but said it should last “only seven days.”
Lapid stressed that “Hezbollah should not be able to restore its command and control systems.”
The United States, the European Union and a number of Western and Arab countries issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah, in an attempt to prevent the conflict from expanding into a full-scale war.
“Diplomacy cannot succeed amidst escalating conflict, and we therefore call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanese-Israeli border, to allow diplomacy to reach a settlement,” the statement said.
He also called on “all parties, including the governments of Israel and Lebanon, to immediately support a temporary ceasefire in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2735 on a ceasefire in Gaza.”
