Israel vows to fight on despite calls for Lebanon ceasefire

Israel rejected ceasefire proposals on Thursday, defying calls from key allies, including the United States, which had urged for a three-week halt in fighting with Hezbollah to allow diplomatic efforts and prevent a broader conflict.

“There will be no ceasefire in the north,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted on X. “We will continue to fight the Hezbollah terrorist organization with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.”

Katz’s statement dashed hopes for a swift resolution, following Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s optimism that a ceasefire could soon be reached in Lebanon, where hundreds of thousands have been displaced by the escalating violence.

World leaders expressed concern over the rapid escalation of the conflict, which is running parallel to Israel’s war in Gaza. The heaviest fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in nearly two decades has stoked fears of an Israeli ground offensive along the Lebanese-Israeli border.

The U.S., France, and other allies had called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire along the Israel-Lebanon frontier and pushed for a similar truce in Gaza, following intense discussions at the United Nations.

Over the past week, Israel has launched its most extensive airstrikes on Lebanon since the 2006 war, killing more than 600 people as months of cross-border skirmishes with Hezbollah spiraled toward full-scale conflict. Hezbollah, in response, has fired hundreds of missiles at Israeli targets, including Tel Aviv for the first time, though Israel’s air defense systems have minimized the damage.