Two top Israeli ministers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government on Thursday rejected a proposal for a ceasefire in Lebanon and called for continuing the fight against Hezbollah.
The United States, European Union and other allies including several Arab states issued a joint call for a 21-day halt in fighting in Lebanon after Israeli air strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands in Lebanon this week.
The rejection of the temporary truce proposal comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignored the proposal and called on his army to keep fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday his government had not responded to a push by the United States and its allies for a 21-day ceasefire in Israel’s fight with Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
“It is an American-French proposal, which the prime minister has not even responded to,” said a statement from Netanyahu’s office, adding that he had ordered the army “to continue the fighting with full force”.
The top ministers who rejected the proposal are Israel Katz, the foreign minister and Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a key member of the cabinet.
Smotrich insisted that continuing the war against Hezbollah was the only way forward.
Netanyahu’s coalition relies on the support of Smotrich and other far-right members who consistently also opposed a truce in the Gaza war, which has not stopped.
“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 enemy must not be given time to recover from the heavy blows it has suffered and reorganise itself to continue the war after 21 days,” he said.
“Hezbollah’s surrender or war — this is the only way to bring back the residents and security to the north and the country.”
In a separate statement on X, Foreign Minister Israel Katz also opposed any halt to fighting.
“There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,” Katz said, referring to tens of thousands who have been displaced by nearly a year of cross-border clashes which escalated this week.
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