A coalition of Western and Middle East nations is urging Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization to accept their proposal for an immediate ceasefire aimed at averting an all-out war between the two.
The proposed ceasefire would last 21 days and take effect immediately “to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement.” The statement, signed by the US, EU, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar did not mention Israel or Hezbollah by name. Critics said it did not take into account Iran’s support for Hezbollah.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich harshly criticized the reports of a ceasefire, saying that “the campaign in the north should end in one scenario – crushing Hezbollah and denying its ability to harm the residents of the north. The enemy must not be given time to recover from the severe blows he suffered and reorganize for the continuation of the war after 21 days.”
New Home party chairman Gideon Sa’ar, a member of the opposition, also criticized the possibility of a ceasefire, and writing on the X social media platform that “from a temporary ceasefire as proposed, only Hezbollah will benefit.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who received a security briefing on Wednesday from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he favors a seven-day ceasefire.
“The State of Israel should announce this morning that it accepts the Biden-Macron cease-fire proposal, but only for seven days in order not to allow Hezbollah to restore its command and control systems,” Lapid said Thursday. “We will not accept any proposal that does not include removing Hezbollah from our northern border.”
The proposal was immediately denounced by residents of northern Israel. Around 63,500 residents of northern Israel were forced to evacuate their homes when Hezbollah joined fellow Iranian proxy Hamas in Gaza, which invaded southern Israel, slaughtering 1,200 people and abducting 251 others as hostages on October 7, 2023. Hezbollah joined the war the next day “in solidarity” with Hamas.
Hezbollah has launched more than 9,350 rockets and drones at Israel since October 8, 2023, killing 49 people on the Israeli side, and repeatedly affirms its forces will continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes in the north.
Expectations of a ground invasion rose on Wednesday following comments by Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff LTG Herzi Halevi and an announcement that the military was remobilizing two reservist brigades for the northern front.
Immediately following a late-night four-hour meeting of the Political-Security Cabinet on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for the US, where he is scheduled on Friday to address the United Nations General Assembly. Netanyahu is expected to fly back to Israel immediately following the conclusion of the Sabbath on Saturday evening.
Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from southern Lebanon in compliance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War and which has been entirely ignored by the Lebanese government, Hezbollah, and the “peacekeeping” United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since that time.
TPS-IL contributed to this report.
