(CPV) – On November 11, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced that diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire in Lebanon have made progress, even though Hezbollah asserted that it has not received any ceasefire proposal.
 |
| Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. (Photo: Abir Sultan/EPA) |
Speaking at a press conference the same day, Mr. Saar said: "I think there has been some progress." He also revealed that Israel coordinated with the US on this issue.
Mr. Saar stated that Israel would only agree to a ceasefire if it was assured that Hezbollah would not be present on the Israeli border and would withdraw its forces north of the Litani River. Israel also demanded that Hezbollah would not rearm with new weapons systems.
On the other hand, Hezbollah has confirmed that it has not received any ceasefire proposal and does not expect this to happen soon. Speaking on television, the spokesman of this force, Mr. Mohammad Afif, confirmed that there has been a strong move between many influential countries such as the US, Russia, and Iran. "However, the parties are still in the stage of exploring the situation or presenting initial ideas as well as active discussions, but nothing is practical yet," Mr. Afif emphasized.
Since late September 2024, Israel has been conducting a large-scale ground offensive in Lebanon - mainly targeting southern Lebanon, the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut and the Bekaa Valley, and has stated that its goal is to disrupt Hezbollah's military capabilities.
In practice, any ceasefire in Lebanon would have to be accepted by Hezbollah, and even its patron Iran. Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem recently expressed his willingness to hold a ceasefire with Israel, adding that the movement had withdrawn its previous demand that a ceasefire in Gaza come before Hezbollah and Israel ceased fighting.
 |
| A scene of devastation after an Israeli airstrike in Bekaa, Lebanon, November 10, 2024. (Photo: THX/TTXVN) |
Despite the apparent ceasefire, the Israeli military announced plans on November 10 to expand its ground offensive in southern Lebanon. Israeli state television Kan reported that Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi had approved the expansion of ground operations in southern Lebanon, which could include the deployment of thousands of active and reserve troops to the region.
Also on November 10, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel had defeated Hezbollah and could achieve more in Lebanon.
"Now, our task is to continue to apply pressure to bring about the fruits of that victory," Katz said, expressing hope that Lebanon will join other countries in normalizing relations with Israel./.
Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/the-gioi/tin-tuc/israel-tuyen-bo-dat-tien-trien-trong-dam-phan-ngung-ban-o-lebanon-682973.html
Comment (0)