Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed that Israel “shares the aims” of a US-led initiative for a ceasefire with Hizbollah, following reactions of frustration from Washington due to his assertion that Israel would persist in striking the Lebanese militant group “with full force.”
The proposal for a 21-day ceasefire was presented jointly by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, aiming to prevent the escalating hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah from turning into a full-blown war.
US officials mentioned that the ceasefire call had been coordinated with Israel. A diplomat noted that the US anticipated Netanyahu would adopt a positive view of the deal upon his arrival in New York, where he is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly.
However, after facing criticism from far-right members of his government, Netanyahu arrived in New York and stated that Israel would continue its strikes against Hizbollah and would not halt “until we achieve all our objectives — first and foremost the return of the northern residents to their homes securely.”
In a statement from his office on Friday morning, Netanyahu affirmed that Israel “shares the aims of the US-led initiative of enabling people along our northern border to return safely and securely to their homes.” The statement also praised US efforts, emphasizing the indispensable US role in advancing regional stability and security and noting that discussions between US and Israeli officials would continue.
Israel has stated that one of its war aims is to ensure that the region along its northern border is secure enough for over 60,000 people displaced by Hizbollah rocket fire to return to their homes.
US officials hope that the truce could provide an opportunity to negotiate a more lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hizbollah and also exert pressure on Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas to accept the terms of a ceasefire-for-hostages deal in Gaza.
Sources familiar with the situation informed the Financial Times that the US hoped Netanyahu would use his UN address to announce that Israel’s conflict in Gaza had entered a new phase, potentially persuading Hizbollah to agree to a temporary truce. Hizbollah has stated it will not cease firing at Israel until the offensive against Hamas concludes.
Despite criticism from Israeli politicians, Israel continued to target sites in Lebanon on Thursday, including a strike in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh that resulted in the death of Mohammed Srour, the commander of Hizbollah’s aerial operations.
This strike was part of a significant escalation of Israel’s operations against the Iran-backed group, which has included assassinating several commanders and launching an intense bombing campaign in Lebanon, resulting in over 600 deaths and displacing approximately 90,000 individuals.
These displaced individuals include thousands of Syrian refugees who sought refuge in Lebanon after the outbreak of war in Syria in 2011. Many of the more than 1.5 million Syrians in Lebanon lack the right to work and live in dire conditions. Fearing arrest, conscription, or worse if they return to Syria, a country plagued by a continuing security crisis and economic collapse, they have remained in Lebanon.
This week, more than 30,000 people crossed into Syria from Lebanon, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, with 80 percent being Syrian and the remainder Lebanese. Syrian media, citing officials, reported an even higher number of crossings.
Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UNHCR’s representative in Syria, indicated in a Geneva press conference that they were moving “from a country at war to one that has faced a crisis and conflict for 13 years,” noting that the scale of crossings in the coming days remains to be seen.
Hostilities persisted on Friday morning, with Israeli strikes across Lebanon resulting in multiple casualties. The state-run National News Agency reported that at least nine members of one family were killed in the southern village of Shebaa due to an Israeli airstrike.
Syrian state media reported the deaths of five Syrian soldiers in an Israeli airstrike near the Lebanon border.
The Israeli military reported that Hizbollah fired 10 rockets toward the northern port city of Haifa, injuring one person from shrapnel in the Sea of Galilee area, according to the Israeli ambulance service.
Overnight, the Israeli military’s Arrow air defense system intercepted a surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen. Meanwhile, Iraq’s Shia militias claimed they had fired projectiles at Israel, but the Israel Defense Forces reported no awareness of any projectiles reaching the country.