Israel rejects proposal for cease-fire with Hezbollah

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israel flatly rejected on Thursday a push led by key backer the United States for a 21-day cease-fire in Lebanon, as it vowed to keep fighting Hezbollah militants "until victory".

Israeli aerial bombardment of Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon has killed hundreds of people this week, while the militant group has hit back with barrages of rockets.

"There will be no cease-fire in the north," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on X. "We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organization with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes."

Moments earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying he had "not even responded" to the truce proposal, and that he had ordered the military "to continue the fighting with full force".

In a joint statement, the US, France and other allies called for an immediate 21-day cease-fire across the Israel-Lebanon border. They also expressed support for a cease-fire in Gaza following intense discussions at the United Nations.

The situation in Lebanon has become "intolerable" and "is in nobody's interest, neither of the people of Israel nor the people of Lebanon", the statement said.

On the ground, there was no letup in the violence.

On Thursday, the Israeli military said it had struck "approximately 75 terror targets" in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, and the south, both Hezbollah bastions that have seen a huge exodus of people fleeing their homes in recent days.

One strike on the town of Yunin killed 20 people, including 19 Syrian nationals, Lebanon's Health Ministry said, with the official National News Agency describing the bombing of the area as "the most violent" in recent days.

The Israeli military also said about 45 rockets had been fired from Lebanon, adding that some had been intercepted while others had landed in unpopulated areas.

Hezbollah said it had again targeted defense industry complexes near the city of Haifa in northern Israel, saying it was "defending Lebanon and its people".

Israel earlier this month said it was shifting its focus from Gaza, where it has been fighting Hamas since the Oct 7 attack, to securing its border with Lebanon.

Agencies via Xinhua