Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said that the US and France have not responded to his call for a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon, that reports of a reduction in attacks in the north are not true, and that he has ‘instructed the Israeli army to continue its attacks in the north with full force’.
In a written statement, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office denied reports that Netanyahu had agreed to discuss a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon.
The statement said: “The news about the ceasefire is not true. Netanyahu did not respond to the US-French proposal. Reports that Israel will reduce its attacks in the north are not true. Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli army to continue its full-scale offensive in the north according to the plans presented to him. The attacks in Gaza will also continue until all the objectives of the war are achieved”.
Following Netanyahu’s denial of the ceasefire claims, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said: “There will be no ceasefire in the north”. Katz said: “We will continue to fight the Hezbollah terrorist organisation with all our might until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes”.
Israeli press reports claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had agreed to negotiate a temporary three-week ceasefire in Lebanon on the initiative of the US and France, and had appointed a minister to do so.
On the other hand, the Israeli Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, announced yesterday that the goal is to return the residents of northern Israel to their homes and that they are ‘preparing for a land attack manoeuvre’ in Lebanon.
