Far-right members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government strongly criticized a US-French proposal for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hizbollah on Thursday, urging the prime minister not to accept the deal.
This proposal, put forth by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, aimed to prevent the escalating hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah from developing into a full-scale war. Both US officials hope that the ceasefire will allow time to negotiate a more lasting peace agreement between Israel and Hizbollah and also increase pressure on Hamas to agree to a ceasefire-for-hostages deal with Israel in Gaza.
However, Israeli ultranationalist finance minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the proposal, stating that Israel’s campaign should only conclude by eliminating Hizbollah’s operational capabilities. Smotrich argued that the enemy should not be given time to recover from the damage inflicted or to prepare for future combat within 21 days. He emphasized that the only solutions were either Hizbollah’s surrender or continued warfare to ensure the safety and security of northern Israel.
Other far-right members of Netanyahu’s government echoed Smotrich’s sentiments. Settlements minister Orit Strock asserted that there was no moral mandate for any ceasefire, even a brief one. Additionally, ministers from Netanyahu’s Likud party, including culture minister Miki Zohar and diaspora minister Amichai Chikli, expressed their disapproval of the ceasefire plan, with Chikli advocating for a ground maneuver to establish a buffer zone.
The US-French proposal, supported by the G7, EU, Australia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, did not specify a deadline for responses from the involved parties. Nevertheless, US officials anticipated that the Israeli and Lebanese governments would respond soon.
A senior administration official mentioned that discussions had occurred with both parties and that they were familiar with the proposal’s contents, expecting them to communicate their decisions shortly.
This diplomatic effort followed a significant Israeli offensive against Hizbollah, which had initiated hostilities by launching rockets at Israel on October 8, in support of Hamas. In response, Israel had conducted a series of attacks, including the assassination of senior Hizbollah commanders and a large-scale bombing campaign targeting Hizbollah’s weapons stores in Lebanon.
The escalation included the Israeli army preparing for a potential ground operation in Lebanon and carrying out further strikes on Hizbollah targets in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. In retaliation, Hizbollah increased its rocket attacks, reaching deeper into Israel and firing a ballistic missile at Tel Aviv, which was intercepted by Israel’s air defenses. On Thursday, Hizbollah launched approximately 45 rockets at Israel, most of which were intercepted by the Israeli army.