On Thursday morning, Netanyahu clarified in a statement that reports about an imminent ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon are false, stating that he has not yet responded to the proposal made by the U.S. and France regarding this issue.
“The news about the alleged directive to ease fighting in the north (a report leaked from Channel 12) is contrary to the truth,” Netanyahu said, emphasizing that he had instructed the IDF to “continue fighting with full force according to the presented plans, and that the operations in Gaza will also continue until all war objectives are achieved.”
Netanyahu’s statement came after several government ministers, including Likud members, voiced strong opposition to the U.S.-French proposal for a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a key far-right ally in Netanyahu’s government, today rejected any possibility of a ceasefire in the conflict between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, following international calls for a 21-day truce from entities like the EU and the U.S.
“The operation in the north must end in only one way: the crushing of Hezbollah and the elimination of its ability to harm the residents of northern Israel,” Smotrich wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“We must not give the enemy time to recover from the heavy blows it has suffered and reorganize to continue the war 21 days later,” he added, stressing that only Hezbollah’s surrender or war would restore security to Israel’s northern residents.
What the EU, G7 countries, Australia, and Arab nations have called for:
A 21-day immediate ceasefire on the Lebanon-Israel border has been requested through a joint statement by the European Union, France, Italy, Germany, the UK, the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The full joint statement reads:
“The situation between Lebanon and Israel since October 8, 2023, is unbearable and presents an unacceptable risk of broader regional escalation. This is in no one’s interest, neither the people of Israel nor the people of Lebanon.
It is time for a diplomatic resolution that allows citizens on both sides of the border to return to their homes safely.
However, diplomacy cannot succeed amid the escalation of this conflict.
Therefore, we call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire on the Lebanon-Israel border to create space for diplomacy towards a final settlement according to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2735 regarding the ceasefire in Gaza.
We urge all parties, including the governments of Israel and Lebanon, to approve this temporary ceasefire immediately, in line with UNSC Resolution 1701, and give a real chance to a diplomatic settlement.
Subsequently, we are fully prepared to support all diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement between Lebanon and Israel during this period, building on the recent months’ efforts to end this crisis.”
