Israel Considers Ceasefire with Hezbollah While Continuing Escalation

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Friday that Israeli teams had held meetings to discuss American proposals for a ceasefire with Lebanon for the past three weeks, and they would continue discussions in the coming days, adding that he appreciated Washington’s efforts while urging U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to encourage the Israeli government not to escalate the situation.

In a statement, he said, “Our teams met on Thursday to discuss the American initiative and how we can move forward towards our common goal of safely bringing populations back to their homes. We will continue these discussions in the coming days.”

Netanyahu’s remarks came after Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated on Thursday that he rejected a ceasefire in the north. The Israeli Air Force has carried out its heaviest bombardment in decades on targets linked to the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on Thursday after Netanyahu left for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly meetings, stating that he had ordered Israeli forces to continue fighting in Lebanon with full strength.

This statement did not refer to Katz’s remarks or those of other Israeli politicians who also rejected the ceasefire proposal, merely noting that this would witness “many inaccurate reports regarding the U.S.-led ceasefire initiative.”

The statement added, “Israel appreciates American efforts in this regard as the role of the United States is indispensable in promoting stability and security in the region.”

Hezbollah stated on Friday that it had bombarded the city of Tiberias, located more than thirty kilometers from the border with Lebanon, with a barrage of rockets in response to heavy airstrikes targeting several towns in southern and eastern Lebanon.

The party indicated in a statement that its fighters bombarded “the occupied city of Tiberias with a barrage of rockets” in response to the “Israeli barbaric invasion of cities, villages, and civilians,” while the Israeli army announced that drones and rockets had entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon.

For its part, the Israeli army clarified that drones and rockets entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon on Friday, explaining that the drones breached the airspace of the coastal area of Rosh Hanikra and were intercepted by army defenses, adding that several rockets were also intercepted.

The Syrian state news agency “SANA” reported on Friday that five soldiers were killed and another wounded in an Israeli bombardment targeting a site near the Lebanese border in the suburbs of Damascus.

The official agency quoted a (unnamed) military source saying, “Around 1:35 a.m. on Friday, the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights, targeting one of our military sites at the Syrian-Lebanese border near Kfeir Yabous in the suburbs of Damascus,” adding that the bombardment resulted in the death of five soldiers and the injury of another.

Israeli forces have been exchanging fire almost daily with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon for nearly a year since the Iran-backed group began firing rockets at Israel following an attack carried out by the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement (Hamas) on October 7.

This has forced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border to flee their homes, leaving vast areas largely abandoned. Israel has stated that the return of displaced persons to the north is part of its war objectives.

Israeli airstrikes targeted hundreds of sites in southern Lebanon and deeper in the past week, resulting in over 600 deaths.

At the same time, Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and projectiles toward Israel, some of which have targeted Tel Aviv. Israeli air defense systems have intercepted many rockets, thus limiting damage.

Blinken informed Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer that any escalation of the conflict in Lebanon would further complicate the return of civilians home on both sides of the border, according to a statement from the State Department.

The ministry stated in the statement, “The minister discussed the importance of reaching an agreement on a 21-day ceasefire along the Israel-Lebanon border.”

It added, “He confirmed that further escalation of the conflict would make this goal (the return of civilians) more difficult.”

The ministry also indicated that Blinken discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and the steps Israel must take to improve access mechanisms for humanitarian aid in the region, where around 2.3 million people are displaced and a food crisis exists.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Thursday that if Benjamin Netanyahu refuses a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, he would be making a “mistake” and would bear “responsibility” for regional escalation.

During a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Montreal, he said, “The proposal that has been presented is solid,” explaining that it had been prepared in coordination with Netanyahu personally as well as with the United States and France.

He added, “I think the Prime Minister (of Israel) would be making a mistake if he refused, as he would bear responsibility for regional escalation and the deaths of many civilians in Lebanon, a much larger escalation that no one could control.”

Trudeau stated, “It is imperative to achieve an immediate ceasefire,” referring to “horrific scenes.”

The French president estimated that Israel’s initial reactions to the proposal are not “definitive,” alluding to the possibility of calling for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to examine this issue in order to “increase pressure.”