Israel’s foreign minister rules out US-French ceasefire proposal saying ‘There will be no ceasefire in the north’Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz has ruled out Israel accepting a US-French proposed 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, saying: “There will be no ceasefire in the north.”
In a message posted to social media, Katz said: “There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the terrorist organization Hezbollah with all our might until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.”
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also appeared dismissive of the proposal, saying “The news about a ceasefire – not true. This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond.”
Netanyahu’s office said, instead, that “the prime minister instructed the IDF to continue the fighting with full force”. Over 600 people have been killed and thousands wounded in Lebanon since Israel began an intense bombing campaign on Monday.
About 60,000 Israelis have fled their homes in northern Israel due to continual fighting between Israel, Hezbollah and other anti-Israeli forces based in Lebanon. On the Lebanese side of the UN-drawn blue line that separates the two countries, tens of thousands of Lebanese have also been internally displaced.
Earlier Israel’s hardline far-right finance minister, who has previously described it as his life’s mission to thwart the creation of a Palestinian state, also rejected the idea of a ceasefire. Bezalel Smotrich said “The campaign in the north should end in one scenario – crushing Hezbollah.”
Israel’s military claimed that overnight it struck “approximately 75 terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation” in Beqaa and in southern Lebanon. Authorities in Lebanon reported at least four more people killed this morning, and that 23 Syrians, mostly women and children, were killed by an Israeli strike on Younine in Lebanon during the night.
The US and France had called for a temporary ceasefire to make way for broader negotiations. 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. The exchange of fire since October 7th, and in particular over the past two weeks, threatens a much broader conflict, and harm to civilians.”
The Jerusalem Post earlier reported that community leaders of northern Israel are unhappy with the prospect of a ceasefire, with one regional council’s chairman saying “There is a time for negotiations, this is not the time. This is a time for war.”
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Security minister Ben-Gvir says his party will quit Netanyahu’s coalition if permanent ceasefire with Hezbollah agreedIsraeli media reports that Israel’s interior security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has said his party Otzma Yehudit will vote against a temporary ceasefire with Hezbollah, and his party will quit Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government if a permanent ceasefire is agreed.
More details soon …
Reuters reports that “a large blast was heard in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Thursday afternoon, and a thick cloud of smoke emanated from the area.”
IDF announces it is carrying out ‘strikes in Beirut’Israel’s military has announced “The IDF is currently carrying out precise strikes in Beirut.”
Israel’s army radio has published two images which claim to be from the scene. The Guardian has not independently verified the images.