The United States should pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish a ceasefire between the Jewish state and Hezbollah, says French President Emmanuel Macron.
Previously, leaders of the United States, EU countries, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries called for an immediate ceasefire on the Israel-Lebanon border for 21 days. At the same time, both Tel Aviv and Beirut stated that no agreement had been reached under this initiative.
“I really believe that we still have a few hours left before the Prime Minister (Netanyahu) can commit (to a ceasefire) and give peace a chance in these 21 days, and I really believe that now the United States must increase the pressure on peace. Israeli Prime Minister to achieve this. – said on the Canadian television channel CBC News.
According to Macron, the whole world is waiting for Netanyahu’s decision, as Hezbollah has expressed its readiness for a ceasefire. He also noted that an Israeli army ground operation in Lebanon would be a mistake and would threaten even further escalation.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office rejected reports of supposedly ongoing negotiations on a truce with Hezbollah, emphasizing that the prime minister had not even responded to proposals from the United States and France.
On Monday, the Israeli Army General Staff gave the name “Northern Arrows” to the offensive operation launched in Lebanon. Since last week, the Israeli Air Force has been carrying out massive strikes against Hezbollah targets in different areas of Lebanon. There were also several targeted airstrikes in Beirut, as a result of which senior Hezbollah commanders were eliminated. To date, the Israeli military has reported attacks on more than 2,000 Hezbollah targets. Observers point out that Israel has not attacked Hezbollah with such intensity since the Second Lebanon War in 2006, RIA Novosti recalls.
