Amid the ongoing chaos in the Middle East, the Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, announced no ceasefire with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. Israel would continue to strike against Hezbollah.
Notably, Israel Katz has recently been sworn in as the Minister of Defense following the dismissal of his predecessor, Yoav Gallant. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Gallant following their disputes over Israel’s response to Hamas since last year.
Katz, who earlier served as the finance minister of the nation, said, “There will be no ceasefire and there will be no respite until the goals of the war are achieved.”
“There will be no ceasefire in Lebanon, and there will be no truce,” he added.
Additionally, during his recent meeting with the Israeli Defense Military General Staff Forum, Katz said, “If the possibility arises and a good proposal is put forward that would allow us to claim victory, we will certainly consider it seriously.”.
Further, talking about Iran, he said Iran’s nuclear facilities are more exposed than ever.
“Iran today is more exposed than ever to damage its nuclear facilities. A possibility to achieve the most important goal, to thwart and remove the threat of annihilation (destruction) from hanging over the state of Israel,” he added.
Israel Ceasefire Talks with US Officials
Katz’s statements on no ceasefire with Lebanon came out following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top strategic adviser meeting with US officials in Washington a day before on Monday, November 11, 2024.
Top Advisor and Strategist of Israel, Ron Dermer, engaged in talks including Ceasefire with the US Secretary General of State, Antony Blinken. He also met several White House advisers, including Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk. According to US officials, Dermer was also expected to meet national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
He is also expected to meet Trump officials during his time in the US.
Additionally, the Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also said the war against Hezbollah is not over yet. The main challenge facing any ceasefire deal would be enforcement. Though there is “a certain progress” in talks with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“Progress has been made, but the main challenge will lie in ensuring the enforcement of what is agreed upon,” he added.
What c says on Ceasefire?
However, Hezbollah claimed that it had not received any ceasefire proposal from Israel. While the Israeli local media said that it had approved their ceasefire proposal.
“So far, according to my information, nothing official has reached Lebanon in this regard,” said Mohammad Afif, the head of Hezbollah’s media office.
I believe that we are still in the phase of testing the waters and presenting ideas and having proactive discussions, but so far there’s nothing actual yet,” Afif added.
What’s Ongoing Between Israel and Lebanon?
On Monday, an Israeli airstrike struck a home in Northern Lebanon. The airstrike claimed at least eight lives and left 14 injured, the Health Ministry of Lebanon reported. The strike hit the village of Ain Yaaqoub in the northern Akkar region, which is home to Greek Orthodox and Sunni Muslim communities. It is situated far from the Hezbollah militant group’s main areas of influence in the south and east.
Meanwhile, another Israeli airstrike hit a residential building in southern Lebanon. It killed at least seven people and left seven wounded. The Israeli military also said that it had received Israel’s 190 rocket strikes from Lebanon on the same day. The Israeli rescue services reported that at least five people were injured in the attack.
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