Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to carry out "full force" strikes against Hezbollah until it ceases firing rockets across the border
On Wednesday, the US, France, UK and other allies called for a 21-day pause in fighting “to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement” and a ceasefire in Gaza.
But speaking as he landed in New York for a UN summit, Mr Netanyahu flatly rejected any calls for ceasefire, saying Israel’s policy was “clear”.
“We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force. And we will not stop until we reach all our goals, chief among them the return of the residents of the north securely to their homes,” he said.
Just before his comments, the Israeli military said it killed a Hezbollah drone commander, Mohammed Hussein Surour, in an airstrike in the suburbs of Beirut.
Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the claim. The Health Ministry said two people were killed and 15 wounded in the strike.
Israel hit 75 sites early Thursday across southern and eastern Lebanon and launched a new wave of strikes in the evening, the military said.
Throughout the day, Hezbollah fired some 175 projectiles into Israel, the Israeli military said.
Israel’s ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, earlier on Thursday told LBC: “I believe there is a chance. But the ceasefire is not the goal. The goal is to bring back our people back to their homes.”
The 12-strong allied bloc, which also includes Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, issued a joint statement on the sidelines of the annual UN summit stressing that the recent fighting is “intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation”.
More than 600 people have been killed in Lebanon in recent days and Israel’s military chief told troops on Wednesday that extensive air strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah could pave the way for them to “enter enemy territory”.
“We call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy,” the statement said.
“We call on all parties, including the governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary cease-fire immediately.”
There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah, but senior US officials said that they expect a ceasefire deal to be implemented “in the coming hours” along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Addressing the UN Security Council, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati lashed out at Israel. But asked if a ceasefire could be secured soon, he told Reuters: "Hopefully, yes."
Mr Mikati’s caretaker administration includes ministers chosen by Hezbollah, widely seen as Lebanon’s most powerful political force.
Speaking to reporters in a late-night phone briefing, the US administration officials said behind-the-scenes diplomacy had resulted in a near agreement between the two sides.
One official said: “The ceasefire will be for 21 days along the blue line (demarcation line dividing Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights).”
They stressed that the ceasefire proposal was for the Israel-Lebanon border only and did not extend to Gaza where Israel’s military offensive against Hamas continues.
Months of Israeli and Hezbollah exchanges of fire have driven tens of thousands of people from their homes, and escalating attacks over the past week have rekindled fears of a broader war in the Middle East.
The US officials said Hezbollah would not be a signatory to the ceasefire but believed the Lebanese government would coordinate its acceptance with the group.
They said they expected Israel could formally accept it when Mr Netanyahu speaks at the General Assembly on Friday.
While the deal would apply only to the Israel-Lebanon border, the US officials said they were looking to use a three-week pause in fighting to restart stalled negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, another Iranian-backed militant group, after nearly a year of war in Gaza.
The joint statement was signed by the US, UK, Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Officials said the deal crystallised by late Wednesday afternoon during a conversation on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly between US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expects to meet Mr Netanyahu’s top strategic adviser in New York on Thursday ahead of the prime minister’s arrival.
Sir Keir Starmer called on Israel and Hezbollah to agree an immediate ceasefire as he urged Britons to leave Lebanon immediately to escape the escalating violence.
The Prime Minister addressed the UN Security Council with a plea for an end to the violence in both Lebanon and Gaza.
The UK has deployed 700 troops to Cyprus to prepare for a possible evacuation of thousands of Britons.
Mr Biden suggested that getting Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a ceasefire could help achieve a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
That war is approaching the one-year mark after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking scores of hostages.
Israel responded with an offensive that has since killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, who do not provide a breakdown of civilians and fighters in their count.
