Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday rejected 21-day ceasefire proposals, saying “crushing” Hezbollah in Lebanon should only be the end result of its fresh offensive in the north.
“The campaign in the north should end with a single result: Crushing Hezbollah and elimination of its ability to harm the residents of the north,” Smotrich said on social media platform X.
The Israeli minister claimed that the ceasefire proposed by the US and its allies would give Hezbollah time to “reorganise”.
Earlier, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed hope that a ceasefire can be reached soon to end fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, which poses a risk of full-blown war between both nations, even as Israel mulls ground invasion.
Israeli airstrikes overnight hit around 75 Hezbollah targets in the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, including weapons storage facilities and ready-to-fire launchers, the Israeli military told news agency Reuters on Thursday.
US President Joe Biden has warned that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah risks escalating into an “all-out war”.
Israeli minister’s statement is also a setback for France and America’s 21-day ceasefire plan to push for a temporary ceasefire to ease the rising tensions, which have resulted in over 600 fatalities in Lebanon in recent days.
“We are counting on both parties to accept it without delay,” French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot told the UN Security Council. An Israeli official revealed that PM Netanyahu has approved the pursuit of a potential deal, contingent upon the return of Israeli civilians to their homes.