Israel reveals its conditions for a ceasefire in Lebanon
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced that Tel Aviv won’t agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon unless Hezbollah moves north of the Litani River, southern Lebanon and disarms it.
Since September 23, Israel has launched the most violent and extensive attack on Lebanon since the beginning of the confrontations with Hezbollah about a year ago; which has resulted, until Sunday, in no less than 916 dead, including children and women, and 2,709 wounded.
While sirens continue to sound at an unprecedented rate across Israel, following heavy Hezbollah firing of missiles, drones and artillery shells targeting military sites and settlements, amid a strict blackout by the Israeli military oversight of human and material losses.
The Israeli official Broadcasting Authority reported on Monday that Katz sent messages to his counterparts in 25 countries, including the foreign ministers of Germany, Britain, Italy and Canada.
“Israel won’t agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon,” Katz said in the messages.
He added, “The only acceptable way for Israel to stop the fire is to move Hezbollah to the north of the Litani and disarm it”.
He considered that the full implementation of all UN Security Council resolutions regarding Lebanon is the only thing that will achieve a ceasefire.
He continued, “As long as this doesn’t happen, Israel will continue its measures to ensure the security of Israel’s citizens and the return of the northern displaced residents to their homes”.
Katz claimed that the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday was one of the most justified preventive measures taken by Israel.
