Tel aviv: Amid the ongoing Israel-Lebanon border strikes, Tel Aviv on Thursday ruled out the ceasefire proposal put forward by France and the United States.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office ruled out the proposal by saying, “The news about a ceasefire- not true. This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond.” Netanyahu had directed the Israel Defence Forces to “continue the fighting with full force.”
Earlier in the day, the US and France had said they had proposed a 21-day ceasefire across the border. Reportedly, the ceasefire would apply to the Israel-Lebanon ‘Blue Line’ – the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel.
Joining Netanyahu’s statement, Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz said there will be no ceasefire in the north. “We will continue to fight against the terrorist organisation Hezbollah with all our might until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,” said Katz.
Over 600 people have been killed so far since Israel began its intense airstrikes targeting Hezbollah groups on Monday.
Aiming for a ceasefire, the joint statement issued by US President Joe Biden and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron said, “It is time for a settlement on the Israel-Lebanon border that ensures safety and security to enable civilians to return to their homes.”
Israel launched its heaviest strikes against Lebanon since 2006 Last week, Israel launched its heaviest air strikes against Lebanon since a 2006 war. Hezbollah has fired hundreds of missiles at targets in Israel including, Tel Aviv. Thousands of civilians fled from southern Lebanon in the wake of the intensified attacks.
Israel’s army chief had hinted at the possibility of a ground assault on Lebanon. According to Lebanon’s transport minister Ali Hamieh, at least 23 Syrians were killed in an Israeli strike along its border. Israel’s military had claimed that it has targeted “infrastructure along the Syria-Lebanon border used by Hezbollah to transfer weapons from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon, which the terrorist organisation used against Israeli civilians.”
