Israeli Defense Minister Katz rejects Lebanon’s ceasefire for now and vows to continue attacks on Hezbollah – Firstpost

Israel’s newly appointed Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that there will be “no ceasefire and no pause in attacks on Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.”

According to one Times of Israel report, addressing the first meeting of the IDF General Staff Forum, Katz said that “if the opportunity arises and a good proposal is made that would allow us to claim victory… we will certainly consider it very seriously.” .

Speaking about Iran, the Defense Minister said their nuclear sites are more vulnerable than ever, following Israeli air strikes on their air defense sites.

“Iran today is more exposed than ever to damage to its nuclear facilities. There is an opportunity to achieve the main goal, which is to thwart and remove the threat of destruction hanging over the State of Israel.” The times of Israel Katz quoted during the meeting.

As for the Gaza Strip, Katz said the main goal is the return of the hostages.

“We will do everything we can to bring them home and ensure the defeat of Hamas,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Israel had said progress had been made in ceasefire talks in Lebanon and indicated that Russia could play a role in stopping Hezbollah’s rearmament through Syria, although the Iran-backed group said that it had received no new armistice proposals.

Hezbollah, battered by Israel’s offensive, said political contacts were underway involving its supporters in Tehran, Washington and Moscow, while it also said it had enough weapons for a “long war” and would continue rocket fire on Israel .

In Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the war against Hezbollah is not over. The main challenge to a ceasefire deal would be enforcement, he said, although there had been “some progress” in the talks.

After previous rounds of fruitless US-led diplomacy to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon, the comments indicate a renewed focus on the issue as President Joe Biden prepares to leave office in January, while the newly elected president Donald Trump will replace him.

Hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza have now suffered a setback, with Qatar suspending its mediation role.

The conflict on the Lebanese-Israeli border, sparked by the Gaza war, had been raging for a year before Israel went on the offensive in late September, bombarding large parts of Lebanon with airstrikes and sending troops south.

Speaking at a news conference in Jerusalem, Saar said Israel is working on a ceasefire with the United States. Israel wants Hezbollah to be north of the Litani River — about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the border — and not be able to rearm itself, he said.

Saar said a basic principle for any agreement must be that Hezbollah would not be able to bring weapons from Syria to Lebanon. “It is vital to the success of any settlement in Lebanon,” Reuters quoted him as he said.

“And the Russians, as you know, are present in Syria. And if they agree with this principle, I think they can contribute effectively to this goal.”

Russia sent troops to Syria almost a decade ago to support President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war there. Hezbollah also sent fighters to help Assad and, along with other Iranian-backed groups, exerted major influence on the ground.

Syria is widely seen as a key conduit for Iran to supply weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Israel has regularly attacked targets in Syria during the conflict.

With input from authorities