Netanyahu instructs troops to combat 'with full force' in Lebanon
The Israeli Prime Minister's request contradicts appeals for a ceasefire with Hezbollah. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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The order comes despite growing global demands for a ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the military to persist in “fighting with full force” against Lebanon, dismissing international appeals for a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
These statements followed a proposal from the US and France for a 21-day ceasefire deal between Israel and the Lebanon-based militant group, aimed at facilitating broader negotiations.
“This is an American-French proposal that the prime minister has not even responded to,” Netanyahu’s office stated on Thursday. They also refuted a separate report suggesting that the Israeli leader had instructed troops to “moderate” their assault on Hezbollah to create an opportunity for ceasefire discussions.
“The report about the purported directive to ease up on the fighting in the north is the opposite of the truth,” Netanyahu’s office emphasized. “The prime minister has directed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to continue fighting with full force.”
US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron convened on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week to explore ways “to give diplomacy a chance to succeed and avoid further escalations across the border.” Both leaders urged Israel and Lebanon to support the truce.
“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,” their joint statement declared.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the temporary ceasefire proposal but reportedly denied that any agreement with Israel had been finalized.
On Thursday, Israel conducted a strike on Beirut and launched additional attacks on southern Lebanon, following days of assaults that resulted in over 600 deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked, “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon,” during an emergency session of the UN Security Council.
The conflict in Gaza, initiated in response to a Hamas raid last October, has resulted in more than 41,000 fatalities, including approximately 16,500 children, according to Palestinian health authorities. Hezbollah has intermittently supported the Palestinian cause through missile launches targeting Israeli military sites, which have led to retaliatory strikes and escalated tensions over the past year.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the military to persist in “fighting with full force” against Lebanon, dismissing international appeals for a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
These statements followed a proposal from the US and France for a 21-day ceasefire deal between Israel and the Lebanon-based militant group, aimed at facilitating broader negotiations.
“This is an American-French proposal that the prime minister has not even responded to,” Netanyahu’s office stated on Thursday. They also refuted a separate report suggesting that the Israeli leader had instructed troops to “moderate” their assault on Hezbollah to create an opportunity for ceasefire discussions.
“The report about the purported directive to ease up on the fighting in the north is the opposite of the truth,” Netanyahu’s office emphasized. “The prime minister has directed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to continue fighting with full force.”
US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron convened on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week to explore ways “to give diplomacy a chance to succeed and avoid further escalations across the border.” Both leaders urged Israel and Lebanon to support the truce.
“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,” their joint statement declared.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the temporary ceasefire proposal but reportedly denied that any agreement with Israel had been finalized.
On Thursday, Israel conducted a strike on Beirut and launched additional attacks on southern Lebanon, following days of assaults that resulted in over 600 deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked, “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon,” during an emergency session of the UN Security Council.
The conflict in Gaza, initiated in response to a Hamas raid last October, has resulted in more than 41,000 fatalities, including approximately 16,500 children, according to Palestinian health authorities. Hezbollah has intermittently supported the Palestinian cause through missile launches targeting Israeli military sites, which have led to retaliatory strikes and escalated tensions over the past year.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
