No ceasefire in Lebanon 'until victory', 'Israel' says

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
26 Sep 2024 14:03
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The office of the Israeli PM denies reports of an imminent ceasefire, bringing back Gaza's scenario over his reactions to every deal proposed.

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People gather near a crater at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit a hangar in the southern town of Jiyeh, Lebanon, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP)

The Israeli government had not responded to a US-led initiative, supported by its allies, proposing a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, the occupation's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday, amid ongoing confrontations with the Lebanese Resistance group Hezbollah.

Earlier, Western powers, Japan, and key Gulf Arab powers urged for a "temporary ceasefire", a couple of days after "Israel" launched a massive aggression on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region in the east and amid Israeli threats of a potential ground invasion.

"It is an American-French proposal, which the prime minister has not even responded to," said a statement from Netanyahu's office.

It also denied a Channel 12 report that said Netanyahu had instructed the military to scale back strikes against Lebanon and called it "opposite from the truth," stressing that the Israeli premier had ordered the military "to continue the fighting with full force."

Israeli occupation Foreign Minister Israel Katz also made it clear that "there will be no ceasefire in the north," despite the international push for the 21-day truce.

He said "Israel" will continue its attacks "with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes."

On its part, the office of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati denied reports claiming that the premier signed a proposed ceasefire agreement after meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and mediator Amos Hochstein.

Mikati's office pointed out that the Prime Minister has only welcomed the joint statement but stressed that the real test lies in its implementation, through "Israel's" commitment to executing international resolutions.

This development follows a report by the Associated Press, which cited a US official as saying that during a Wednesday meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Secretary of State Antony Blinken approached Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan to seek their approval for the proposal, which they granted.

Blinken, along with senior White House adviser Amos Hochstein, then met with Mikati, who also endorsed the deal, according to the AP report.

Additionally, the news agency cited an Israeli official, who noted that Netanyahu has given the go-ahead to explore the deal, but only on the condition that it includes the safe return of Israeli settlers to settlements on the border with Lebanon.

Moreover, AP also mentioned that US officials indicated that they are aiming to utilize the three-week pause to revive the stalled Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations.

But Qatar, a key mediator in the Gaza negotiations, clarified that ongoing discussions for a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave are not directly connected to the international efforts pushing for a truce between Hezbollah and "Israel".

"I'm not aware of a direct link, but obviously both mediations are hugely overlapping when you are talking about the same parties, for the most part, that are taking part," Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told reporters.