"There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight the terrorist organization Hezbollah with all our might until victory is achieved and the people of the north can return home safely," Katz said in a statement on social network X.
The comments dashed hopes of a quick peace settlement, after Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed hope that a ceasefire could soon be reached in the country, where hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes in search of safety.
Smoke rises over southern Lebanon following an Israeli airstrike on September 26. Photo: Reuters
The heaviest fighting in nearly two decades between Israel and Hezbollah has raised fears of a new Israeli ground offensive across the Lebanon-Israel border.
The United States, France and several allies have called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border, and expressed support for a ceasefire in Gaza after tense talks at the United Nations on September 25.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the call for a ceasefire but said the key to its implementation was whether Israel, which has deployed troops near Lebanon, would commit to enforcing international resolutions.
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert on September 26 welcomed the call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire to create space for successful diplomacy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to respond to the ceasefire proposal but has ordered the military to continue fighting. Hardliners in his administration say Israel should reject any ceasefire and continue to attack Hezbollah.
Mr Netanyahu reiterated his pledge to ensure that tens of thousands of Israelis evacuated from the northern border areas can return home. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Hezbollah must be destroyed and only if the group surrenders can the evacuees return.
The Israeli military said on September 26 that overnight Israeli air strikes hit about 75 Hezbollah targets in the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, including weapons storage facilities and launch pads.
In the latest deadly attack, at least 23 Syrians, mostly women and children, were killed when Israel struck a three-storey building in the Lebanese town of Younine overnight.
Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/israel-bac-de-xuat-ngung-ban-o-lebanon-quyet-tieu-diet-hezbollah-post314078.html
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