Israel rejects US-led push for Lebanon ceasefire

Vows to keep fighting Hezbollah 'until victory'

BEIRUT:

Israel flatly rejected on Thursday a push led by key backer the United States for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, vowing to keep fighting Hezbollah "until victory".

Israeli bombing of Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon has killed hundreds of people this week, while the militant group has retaliated with rocket barrages.

"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," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement earlier saying he had "not even responded" to the truce proposal, and that he had ordered the military "to continue the fighting with full force".

The United States, France and other allies called for a 21-day halt, after President Joe Biden and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The situation in Lebanon has become "intolerable" and "is in nobody's interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon," their joint statement said.

Despite the diplomatic efforts, violence raged on the ground.

The Israeli defence ministry announced that it had secured a new $8.7-billion aid package from the United States to support the country's ongoing military efforts, underlining Washington's unwillingness to use its military aid as leverage for a ceasefire.

The Israeli military said it struck about 75 targets in the eastern Bekaa valley and southern Lebanon, Hezbollah bastions that have seen a huge exodus of civilians fleeing their homes in recent days.