The international community is urging an immediate cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border. According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, countries including prominent Arab nations, G7 members, and the European Union are calling for a ceasefire.
Blinken, speaking to MSNBC, emphasized that “the world is speaking clearly for virtually all of the key countries in Europe and in the region on the need for the ceasefire.” He is set to meet with Israeli officials in New York later on Thursday.
However, Israel has firmly rejected a US-backed proposal for a 21-day ceasefire. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared on social media, “There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.”
The escalating conflict began earlier this month when Israel shifted its focus from Gaza, where it has been fighting a war with Hamas since the October 7 attack, to securing its border with Lebanon. Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has been engaged in clashes with Israeli troops across the Lebanon border since October, forcing tens of thousands of people on both sides to flee their homes.
The hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have ignited fears of a regional war. Israel has widened its airstrikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah militant leaders and striking hundreds of sites deep inside the country. The group, in turn, has fired barrages of rockets into Israel.
The conflict has resulted in significant casualties in Lebanon. According to the United Nations, Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon has forced 90,000 people to flee their homes in traditional Hezbollah strongholds to safer areas. Additionally, over 22,000 people have crossed the Lebanese border into Syria this week, according to Syrian security sources.
