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The Israelis have had enough. They have had enough of Hamas, had enough of Hezbollah, and they especially have had enough of foreigners bearing cease-fire proposals.
Voices across the political spectrum in Israel made that clear after the US and France suggested a 21-day cease-fire in Lebanon, and some media outlets reported that both sides had accepted. Benjamin Netanyahu scoffed at the report today, telling reporters he hadn’t even seen the details yet, let alone reach any conclusions about it:
“The report about a ceasefire is incorrect,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement it issued while Netanyahu was en route to New York to address the high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly. “This is an American-French proposal that the Prime Minister has not even responded to,” the PMO stated.
It also rejected reports that as a result of the diplomatic initiatives, the IDF had scaled down the level of its military campaign to push Hezbollah back to the Litani River, a step that is mandated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
“The report about the purported directive to ease up on the fighting in the north is the opposite of the truth. The Prime Minister has directed the IDF to continue fighting with full force, according to the plan he presented.
“The fighting in Gaza will also continue until all the objectives of the war have been achieved,” the Prime Minister’s Office stated.
Netanyahu has kept to that same approach in Gaza, which has created significant political blowback for him at home. That does not appear to be the case when it comes to Hezbollah, however. Politicians across the political spectrum — and especially in the north — rejected calls for any lengthy cease-fire with Hezbollah as long as they defy previous cease-fire terms. Only war will move the threat from Israel’s borders, and the Israelis don’t want another October 7 to take place to prove that to the world:
Israeli Ministers and Members of Knesset (MKs) from both the coalition and opposition denounced reported cease fire talks between Israel and Hezbollah on Thursday morning, and advocated instead to continue the offensive.
