Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that Israel’s ability to defend itself must be central to any potential ceasefire agreement during talks with U.S. emissaries. Recent violence included a Hezbollah rocket attack in northern Israel that killed five, while airstrikes in southern Lebanon resulted in casualties among healthcare workers. Discussions are underway for a possible 60-day truce to implement UN Resolution 1701, amid escalating hostilities that have left 178 Lebanese healthcare professionals dead since October. Thousands are seeking refuge as airstrikes continue.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized on Thursday to two U.S. envoys discussing ceasefire conditions in Lebanon and Gaza that Israel’s ability to defend itself against security threats must be the focal point of any potential agreement.
On the same day, five individuals lost their lives due to a rocket attack by Hezbollah, the Iranian-aligned Lebanese armed group, targeting Metoula in northern Israel. Additionally, authorities reported that two civilians were killed by a shell fired near Kiryat Ata, also located in the north.
Netanyahu stated to the American representatives, as reported by his office, “What matters is not the specifics of any agreement, but Israel’s capacity and determination to implement the agreement and counter any security threats coming from Lebanon.”
Brett McGurk, an advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden for the Middle East, and Amos Hochstein, the special envoy from the White House to the region, visited Israel for discussions on potential ceasefires concerning the two primary military fronts facing the Jewish state.
Prior to their meeting with Netanyahu, sources informed Reuters that discussions regarding Lebanon would focus on a 60-day cessation of hostilities to facilitate the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 from 2006, which calls for Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the area south of the Litani River.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported on Thursday that six healthcare workers were killed in Israeli bombings in southern Lebanon, with an additional four injuries.
“WE CANNOT CONTINUE LIKE THIS”
Since the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah began in October 2023, the Lebanese Health Ministry has confirmed the deaths of 178 healthcare professionals, along with 279 others who sustained injuries.
Israel issued an evacuation order for the residents of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon for the second consecutive day. On Wednesday, the Israeli military conducted extensive airstrikes against Hezbollah in and around Baalbek, known for its Greco-Roman ruins.
Following the evacuation call, dozens of vehicles quickly left the area, while black smoke continued to rise from the locality of Douris, where an Israeli strike had destroyed Hezbollah fuel storage just the day before, according to both the Israeli army and a Lebanese security source.
Thousands sought refuge in the nearby predominantly Christian city of Deir al Ahmar. Regional official Jean Fakhry stated that authorities were struggling to meet even a fraction of the needs, with some people having to sleep in their cars.
“We cannot continue like this,” he stressed.
Hezbollah claimed to have launched several rocket and artillery attacks against Israeli forces near the town of Khiyam in southern Lebanon. This marks the fourth consecutive day of fighting around this strategically significant town, which is home to one of the largest Shia communities in the south.
The militia aims to keep Israeli forces out of the town to prevent attacks similar to those on other border cities, according to a source close to the movement speaking to Reuters.
The Shia militia asserts that its fighters have thwarted Israel’s efforts to seize or fully control southern villages, while Israel claims to be conducting limited ground operations aimed at destroying the group’s infrastructure.